To whom it may concern:. It is my pleasure to recommend Susan to the counseling program at Aberdeen State University.
Until recently, I have been a faculty mentor to Susan as well an undergraduate professor. I believe her academic performance coupled with her enthusiastic and well rounded personality would make her a good candidate for this program, and therefore I would like to highly recommend Susan True to attend your university.
Susan performed exceptionally well in her academics. However, Susan also spent time in campus leadership and volunteer experiences. As part of the student body, Susan joined the Anderson University Senate in to represent all the ladies living in her dormitory over the course of the school year. She also volunteered at the Madison County Youth Detention Center her freshman year as part of a prison ministry to help uplift the troubled youth through various activities.
Susan also got involved with YWCA during her junior and senior years and was a mentor to an elementary aged girl who enjoyed the companionship and activities Susan provided. A counselor recommendation letter is a document that lists a school counselor, also known as a guidance counselor's work experience, academic history, skills and achievements that they can use when applying to a job. They may ask a colleague, supervisor or professor to write them the letter.
If a counselor asks you to write a letter, you may include details about their work performance or positive habits that help them succeed as a guidance counselor.
A school counselor can use a letter of recommendation when seeking to switch to a different position or achieve career advancement. The letter of recommendation may be a part of their application packet, along with their resume and cover letter. Depending on the job they're applying for, they may have to provide several letters of recommendation.
Here's what you should include on a counselor recommendation letter:. Introduction: Open the letter explaining who you are in relation to the applicant, stating your name, job title and how you met the applicant.
Applicant's skills: Throughout the letter, include information on the applicant's skills working with students and understanding educational requirements. Details of your interactions with the applicant: Include specific details of your interactions with the applicant to show their behaviors and attitude while working.
Experience: Include information on the specific duties the application completed while working to show their experience. Closing statement: At the end of your letter, summarize why the individual is a good match for the position. Use these steps to help you write a counselor recommendation letter:.
At the beginning of your letter, include a greeting with the letter recipient's name. Ask the applicant if they know who the letter is going to, or check to see if the name of the recipient is in the job posting. If you're unsure of the recipient's name, you can use the term, "To whom it may concern. After the greeting, include a sentence that states the applicant's full name, the title of the position they're applying to and the name of the company. Here are examples of how you can format this sentence:.
It is my pleasure to recommend [ applicant's name ] for [ position name ] at [ company name ]. I am delighted to recommend my colleague, [ applicant name ] for the [ position name ] role at [ company name ]. I believe that [ applicant name ] is an ideal candidate for the position of [ position name ] at [ company name ]. In two to three sentences, provide information about yourself. Include your full name, your job title, the number of years you have worked in your current job and how long you have known the applicant.
You should also include information on how you met the candidate, like if you met through a while working at the same school, if you were classmates in college or if you met through networking. Here are some examples of how you can format this part of the letter:. My name is [ full name ] , a [ job title ] at [ name of company ]. I have [ number ] years of experience in this position. Based on the incredible resilience Ashley has shown throughout the challenges in her life, I have no doubt that she will continue to handle anything that comes her way with strength, grace, and a positive outlook.
Considering all she's accomplished as Class President, I am confident that Sara will have a strong voice and leadership role on her college campus. Even with his mysterious absences, Edward has risen to top of his class. I'm sure he will continue to excel academically during this next chapter of his eternal life Twilight: The College Years.
While all of these elements are key for your letter of recommendation, are there any types of content that you shouldn't include in your letter? I touched upon a few of them above, but let's review what could make your letter ineffective. To reiterate the point, simply listing out a student's activities and achievements would make for a weak letter. It's not personal or insightful, and it's a reiteration of information that's present in other parts of the application.
While you should speak to significant involvements, you should do so in a personal way - what drives the student and how has she demonstrated her skills, interests, or personality.
On a similar note, writing about quantitative data , like GPA or number of years involved in each club, won't add much to a student's chances. It's like confirming that the student attended your school, without actually giving an assessment or recommendation. When you go through your letter, be on the lookout for generic language that could apply to a number of students.
Similarly, revise anything that's ambiguous or hyperbolic. Overblown enthusiasm could sound insincere, while lukewarm praise could sound forced. Make sure you're not listing adjectives without examples. When you read over your letter, it should add value to an application by providing insight and differentiating the student from other applicants with similar grades and activities.
Finally, you don't want to use a template that's very similar for a lot of students, especially if they're applying to the same colleges. Nearly identical letters would make you lose credibility in the eyes of admissions officers, and then your letter would do little to help a student get accepted. Once you've brainstormed the qualities you want to highlight and stories you want to tell, it's helpful to draft your letter with a clear structure in mind. Your recommendation letter should be one page.
In exceptional circumstances, you might continue onto two pages, but generally speaking it should be one full page. Less than that could look like you don't have much to say about a student. That might be the case, but admissions officers will notice that and interpret it as they will. In the introduction, you should state your recommendation for the student. Say who you are and how long and in what contexts you've known the student.
This shows that you're qualified to make an assessment. As Sofia's counselor for the past four years at Degrassi High, I have had the pleasure of watching her grow into one of the most successful students in her class. James: inventor, sci-fi fan, coder extraordinaire. In my twelve years as a counselor at High School High, I've never seen a student more passionate about technological innovation than James, who has a skill for computer engineering far beyond his years.
In the middle two to three paragraphs, you can dive into your assessment of the student, using the content and techniques talked about above.
Highlight her impressive personal qualities, and talk about her growth. If there are any important challenges the student has had to overcome, you should share that as well. If the challenge is especially personal, I would double check with the student that she feels comfortable sharing that information.
If you can tailor your assessment to the specific college , all the better. For highly selective colleges, you could attest to the student's ability to thrive in an academically rigorous environment. You could speak to her collaboration, communication, or leadership skills, to her flexibility or ambition, or to her resourcefulness and resilience.
One of the most ethically driven and global minded students I've known in my 12 years as a counselor, Laura founded the Amnesty International Club at our school and worked tirelessly to involve her fellow students, faculty, and community in her campaigns for human rights and international justice.
Tufts University, with its renowned international relations program, would be an ideal fit with her interests and goals for the future. As a creative, mature, and self-directed learner, Ana would thrive in Brown's environment, where she could explore her passion for science and build a rigorous curriculum that would match her goals.
Finally, in the conclusion you should restate your support for the candidate. Provide a vision of what you see her accomplishing at college. Conclude with an invitation for admissions officers to contact you with any questions or for any further information. Be intentional with how you conclude your letter. Will readers be left with a strong impression of the student? Did your letter communicate exactly what you wanted to say? To review, let's go over the do's and don't's of writing a letter of recommendation.
The best letters take time and thought to personalize , which can be tough to come by when you have hundreds of letters to write. By honing in on the key content and structure of good letters, you can streamline the process for yourself and cut out approaches that waste time or produce mediocre letters.
Below are the key points that helped me the most when writing recommendation letters for students with all different interests, plans, and personalities. As a counselor, you're an indispensable part of a student's journey of self-discovery and post-high school planning. While all those letters can feel overwhelming, you're also one of the best people to advocate for your students and expertly write letters of recommendation that will help them get accepted to their dream schools.
What makes a strong letter of recommendation here? Check out our full guide and new examples here. For more insight on writing letters of recommendation, check out these examples of great college recommendation letters from counselors. And to see what not to do, read these examples of bad recommendations from counselors.
We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process.
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