The words you use in writing a college recommendation letter for a young student entering his or her first year of higher education can make a really big difference.
It’s not enough to restate the boring old “Bill works really hard at everything he does” or “Sally is one of the more exceptional students I have had the pleasure teaching.” These statements do not bear much weight on their own – they must be backed up with examples and evidence that support these claims.
It’s hard to have to write several recommendation letters each year and we advise that you don’t take the easy route by using a template you found on the web. You can look through bestessaytips reviews to find out some new information. The following are five tried and true tips for writing a great recommendation letter for a high school student applying to college next year:
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Get to Know the Student If You Don’t Already
The first thing you need to know is the student. Never write a recommendation letter for someone you hardly know or have known for a short amount of time. If you are the best person in the student’s opinion to write the letter, then take the time to learn more about the student’s personality and character so that you can be honest when writing.
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Start the Recommendation Letter with a Formal Tone
It may seem that starting a letter with a formal tone doesn’t make it personal, but it is perfectly acceptable to open with “To Whom It May Concern” since you likely do not know who will be reading the letter. It is, after all, a business letter and represents your school as well as all that it stands for regarding its students’ growth and professionalism.
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Follow a 3 Part Structure: Intro, Body, and Conclusion
The college recommendation letter should be no more than a single page. Think of it as a cover letter for a job application. You want to follow a simple but direct structure including an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
The intro should get right to the point and introduce the student and stating your relationship with that person. Next, the body can be 1 or 2 paragraphs discussing the student’s character and not his or her academic achievements. Remember, that test scores and grades will be included in a different part of the application, so there is no use in wasting words. Finally, your conclusion should have a direct recommendation for the student to attend that specific college.
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Make Sure You Edit and Proofread to Avoid Embarrassment
You’re writing a letter that will be read by a small team of admissions officers at a credible college or university. Your own integrity, credibility, and reputation are on the line. The student that will be submitting the letter with his or her application trusts that you will have thoroughly edited and proofread the letter to ensure there is a formal and genuine personal tone. Use the active voice and make sure you have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
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Have Someone Else Besides the Student Read the Letter
Finally, it would be quite embarrassing if you were to hand over a recommendation letter riddled with errors. Have somebody else—another teacher or a counselor perhaps—review the college letter for content, tone, and effectiveness. While they are at it they can also edit and proofread the writing to ensure there are no mistakes.
It’s always an honor to be asked to write a recommendation letter for a student. They have put their trust in your hands and it’s imperative that return the gesture and request with a letter that blows away the college admission board.
If you don’t have someone you can rely upon to review your letter, you can always hire a professional editing service to look it over. The prices are quite affordable and the quality of work is oftentimes much higher than even an experienced high school teacher can muster as a result of a service’s professional team and their years of certified training.
