When a university admissions committee requests a letter of reference from a teacher, counselor, or employee, it usually includes the following:
Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics, We welcome information that will help us to differentiate this student from others.
In other words, what makes you special from all the other thousands of candidates that apply to the university?
In order to help your counselors and teachers write a good evaluation of you, supply specific details and examples next to each topic below.
For example, if you are a leader, what have you specifically done to show that you have leadership qualities? If you have a sense of responsibility, how would the reader know that? What have you done that shows exceptional responsibility?
Do this legibly on another piece of paper. Follow this format by including numbered subject headings as presented below: (Include name, email address, and phone number)
1. GPA and Ranking (give an unofficial copy of your transcript to letter writer).
2. Academic strengths and weaknesses (include other teachers' opinions).
3. Awards and honors received (include each year received).
4. Extracurricular activities (include length of participation and leadership roles in clubs/sports/internships).
5. Special skills and talents (provide details and examples).
6. Interests and hobbies (provide details and examples).
7. Community service (include timeline of service and description of duties).
8. Work experience (include timeline of experience and description of job duties).
9. Personality strengths and weaknesses. Give special attention to the following character traits. Provide examples of how the reader would know you have, or need to work on these traits. Discuss as many as popssible.
Academic promise/potential, intellectual curiosity, creativity, motivation, maturity, integrity, independence, originality, sense of responsibility, self-confidence, warmth of personality, sense of humor, initiative, leadership potential, capacity for growth, enthusiasm for learning, energy, concern for others, respect accorded by faculty, and reactions to setbacks.
10. Life challenges. Include aspects of your life such as coming from a single-parent home, being a first generation college student, having immigrant parents, financial struggles, personal problems/tragedies you have overcome (of course, only ones you are willing to share).
11. If your parents are immigrants, what country did they come from and how long have they been in this country? Why did they come here?
12. What kind of education did your parents get? Do they speak English?
13. What jobs do your parents have? What is their financial situation?
14. What is your relationship like with your parents? Are they supportive of your educational choices? How many siblings do you have? How old are they? Does your relationship with them affect your educational process in any way?
15. Have you had any personal problems that distracted you from your studies? How did you overcome them? How did they help to make you a better, more motivated student?
16. College Plans?Degrees Desired (majors you are considering).
17. Career Plans (career areas you are considering). Include why you chose these career areas. Why are you interested in them?
18. How have you taken advantage of your educational opportunities?
19. How have you made yourself a better person, a better student?
20. What makes you special? Why should a college choose you over others? Why would your presence on its campus make it a better place? Why would a college be proud of you as an alumnus?
21. What is your philosophy of life? Why do you think you're here? Do you have a mission to complete while you're alive? What is the most important thing you value in your life right now and why?
Writing in detail on all these topics may seem like a formidable task, but remember, if you are applying to one of the elite, prestigious, private universities, you are indeed competing against the best and the brightest in this nation and abroad.
SOMEHOW YOU MUST SELL YOURSELF AS INDISPENSABLE TO THAT CAMPUS - THROUGH YOUR ACADEMICS, YOUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, YOUR CHARACTER, YOUR GOALS, AND YOUR POTENTIAL.
Remember: There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure ...Colin Powell