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Getting the best letters of recommendation An extremely important aspect of getting into college or graduate school is acquiring the best letter(s) of recommendation. This is a vital piece to your application puzzle since it allows schools to gauge your academic performance and interpersonal skills from a viewpoint other than your own. You can say you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, but having the opinions of others will allow schools to determine if your the right person for their institution. So what is required in a letter of recommendation? Find out the basics and some great secrets with this tool... The requirements vary from school to school. Some will ask you to simply provide three letters of recommendation from people other than your friends (usually college professors or work supervisors). Others will provide a recommendation template with a set of questions they'd like your references to answer. The required number of recommendations also varies. Usually, schools will ask for at least two but sometimes more. If the school you're applying to only requires a couple of letters, don't try to impress them by compiling five or six recommendations. Remember, quality is always better than quantity. Instead, focus on getting the two best people possible for your required letters of recommendation. So who should you ask for a letter of recommendation? As mentioned above, find the people you are absolutely sure will provide a great recommendation. Don't approach a college professor whom you've spoken to once in your life. Find someone you have an actual relationship with. This will not only benefit you, but also the recommender. Asking for a letter from some random professor will be difficult for them since you could just be another student asking for help. That means their letter won't be high quality. They could wind up just using the generic, "Student X came to class on time everyday and performed all required coursework." That's not the type of recommendation you want. Granted, it's not bad, but you want someone who is capable of talking about you in glowing terms and can provide true insight into your personality and work ethic. If you honestly cannot find anyone who is able to provide a great letter of recommendation, use this helpful resource... A simple strategy to ensure you have plenty of options with your letters of recommendation is to get involved on campus. Join clubs and student organizations. Meet people in leadership positions and faculty. Once you are out there meeting new people, your options invariably widen. Not only will this strengthen your pool of recommenders, but potentially help you network your way into a job upon graduation. Hey, it can happen. |
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