Letters of rec: tips & best practices

1. Letters of rec: tips & best practices

2. Misconception #1: Letters don’t matter much for the admissions process • Truth: Letters of rec are crucial, especially for students on the bubble and for students applying to highly selective colleges & scholarships • Admissions Rep: “Above all else, know that we read and care about your recommendation letters. This requirement is not just another arduous hoop we make you and your students jump through to no avail.” • A great letter can provide invaluable insight and truly help a student’s cause, whereas a poor or generic letter can do the opposite • Poor letters prompt readers to wonder how special a student can truly be if their recommender of choice writes an uninspired letter

3. Misconception #2: I need to highlight everything the student has done well at RHS Truth: Letters should focus specifically on the student’s performance for your class, team or club Admissions Reps: “Teachers should not address anything that will be in some other part of the application. We’ll hear about extracurricular and other nonacademic activities from the counselor and the students themselves.” “For example, provide perspective if yours was a particularly tough course…especially at highly selective colleges, one low-ish grade can make us pause. In such cases, it would be helpful to know if it really isn’t a low-ish grade.” Tips: Hit the main points hard, be direct and to the point. Shorter, specific and descriptive letters are usually the strongest (& admissions officers appreciate this). Answer these questions: • Will this student will be able to hack it in some of the nation’s most competitive courses/programs? • What sort of positive contributions would they make to the classroom and campus culture? • Would instructors enjoy teaching and working alongside this student?

4. Misconception #3: admissions officers won’t notice if I copy/paste parts of letters • Truth: They will and do notice. • You may have multiple students applying to the same school or scholarship any given year • Communicates we don’t believe our students are special enough to earn a personalized letter • Effort spent on letter = estimation of student • Readers will often disregard copy/pasted letters as soon as this is realized • Tips: • Give yourself sufficient time to write a good letter • If you are too busy to write a good letter or don’t know the student very well, decline! It’s ok. • Perhaps help them figure out who might be a better fit for them

5. Misconception #4: just state the facts. • Truth: A passionate, interesting & well-written letter helps yours stand out • Admission Reps: “Imagine we are reading our 100th essay of the day. What will prevent our eyes from glazing over? Definitely not another generic letter peppered with clichés.” • “Many high-achieving students are ‘pluggers’ -- they plug away, do what they need to do, and perform consistently well. But, they do not demonstrate a love of learning. They are not excited by the content and add an inspiring or creative energy to the classroom. Teachers are often the only ones capable of testifying to this.” Tips: • Devote time to making the reader feel what it is like to know this student and their story • Testify to the sparkthat separates this student from the other good “pluggers” • Anecdotes are great here: examples of leadership & resiliency; what you’ll miss about them • Refrain from exaggerating: be honest in your praise

6. Misconception #5: minor grammar & spelling errors don’t matter • Truth: They definitely do. • Admissions Rep: “We try to never hold this against the student, but we are only human, and it certainly isn’t helping him or her either.” • Grammar and spelling mistakes reflect the quality of instruction and rigor at the school, especially if the committee is unfamiliar with Rangeview • Mistakes also detract from the heart of the letter • Tip: Have colleagues proofread your letter

7. also… • Insist on first receiving a student’s letter of rec profile (located in Naviance) • Providing these details helps you write a stronger letter & puts the onus on the student to do their part Meet briefly with students to clarify deadlines & ensure you’re on the same page • We will email out examples of annotated exemplary & sub-par letters • Remember: Students applying using Common App also require the Teacher Common App Eval form be filled out & submitted through Naviance w/your letter of rec • If you ever have any questions about how to submit a letter of rec or would like feedback on a letter, do not hesitate to contact Leslie, Kyle, Brook, Betty or James • Thank you for all of the hard work you to do to support our students!

8. How to upload a Teacher Recommendation on Naviance https://succeed.naviance.com/auth/signin **Link is on the RHS Homepage under Staff Links Login Information Account - Rangeview User Name- Outlook Username Password- Outlook Password

9. Click “Manage and complete your college recommendations”

10. Click “Upload file”

11. Click “Add Teacher Documents”

12. Click “Upload a File”

13. Click “All Applications” (or only the particular applications the student has requested)AND then click “Upload File”

14. ***If the student is applying through Common App, click “Prepare a Form” • Type: “Common App Teacher Evaluation” • “Prepare form” • Answer questions • Click “Save” at the bottom

15. ***IF the student’s name is not showing up under Teacher Recommendations because the student has not formally requested a letter, please still upload the student’s letter of rec. by following these steps: Search for Student’s Name (Upper Left Hand Corner)  Click on Student’s Name

16. Click on “eDocs” “Prepare” “Add Teacher Documents”  Continue with previous steps If you have any questions please email or see Betty Gessesse, Brook Knower, or any RHS Counselor