This Student’s Letter of Recommendation Got Her Admitted
The letter of recommendation feels like a wildcard in poker. It’s the only part of your application you can’t control. And sometimes it makes no difference in your decision. But, every once in a while, it makes all the difference in the world. This story is about one of those times.
The most impressive letter of rec I’ve ever read didn’t come from a celebrity. (Although I did get a letter from President Clinton once. Presidential seal and everything.) It came from a teacher who just took a little extra time to make the student come to life.
As I recall, the student was not impressive in the academic review. Her transcript showed a big dip from A’s to C’s around sophomore year. I expected to find an explanation in her essays. Maybe a sports injury, medical issue, or other interruption. That’s the kind of thing that can excuse a lower GPA. But there was nothing.
By the time I reached her letter of recommendation, I admit I was skimming. I expected to find a tired, generic letter written by a tired teacher about an average student. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
In a full page and a half, it became clear that this teacher knew the student. Like, actually KNEW her. And what’s more, she LIKED her. And in 5 or 6 paragraphs, she showed us she really CARED for the student by going to bat for her. She explained the dip in grades sophomore year (a medical issue, as I recall). She explained why the grades and courses on her transcript were impressive for this school. Using several stories, she painted a picture of a resilient student who would benefit our classroom and campus. She went above and beyond to SHOW why this student’s 3.0 was more impressive than the average student’s 4.0. And she did it well.
In the end, I was convinced and the student was admitted. This letter had absolutely turned her decision from a DENY to an ADMIT. All because one busy, overworked teacher took an extra hour to write a beautiful, informative, compelling letter.
I remember emailing that counselor after decisions were sent out, just to let her know she’d made all the difference for that student. I don’t remember her ever replying. Probably too busy being an excellent teacher, confidant, advocate, and letter-writer for her students. I tip my hat to her.
Why is this good news? Because, no matter your circumstances, you can have a letter of recommendation that massively boosts your application. How? By letting a teacher get to KNOW you, LIKE you, and CARE for you. I’m happy to send you a little cheat sheet to send your recommender to help their letter turn out like this one. Send “BRAG SHEET” in the contact form or just email me at peter@waltoncounseling.com.
See you next week for more good news.
Peace, Peter
