HS Counselor Reveals Biggest Rec Letter Pet Peeves

Recommendation letters are typically a fundamental area of the university admissions procedure. Students have a duty to ask the right individuals to compose tips for them and should assist prepare recommenders to write letters that are compelling. But then the part that is hard for the other part — instructors, counselors and coaches have to write the rec letters, and several of them could have needs from numerous students.
Certainly, the process of composing college recommendations could be laborious for the people individuals writing the letters. Many counselors have periodic gripes about composing letters of tips that students should be aware of. Diane Campbell, college counselor at Liberty typical senior high School in Fort Collins, Colo., shares these nine ‘pet peeves:’
1. Pupils who ask the time it is due.
2. Recommendation forms that ask me personally six questions regarding the learning pupil, 500 words each, and then require a page uploaded.
3. The possible lack of understanding regarding simply how much time it requires for the counselor to publish a compelling letter.
4. Not just a large amount of support systems and trained in place to help guide teachers/counselors in just what universities and/or scholarships want in a letter of recommendation.
5. Counselors feeling they have been needed to write a letter of suggestion when a college doesn’t want it.
6. Trying to navigate and record how every university wants a recommendation. Some require institutional types whereas others are fine with freeform letters.
7. Insufficient clear instruction from pupils to learn how many letters that are rec must have.
8. The ‘we require two myth.” Many pupils think they want two letters, when, in reality, they often need one or none.
9. When you wish to write a compelling, supportive letter for the student, but with most of the big student caseloads and lack of time to be a therapist, sometimes you simply have no idea the student and it’s therefore very hard to create a letter.
Process Sparks Peeves
Nancy Polin, a independent counselor and president of Educational Excellence in Palm Beach County, Fla., includes a pet peeve about the whole page of suggestion process and its own role in college admissions.
‘I consider it generates for a really playing that is uneven — that is my animal peeve about letters of recommendation,’ states Polin.
Some colleges use letters of recommendation greatly in the decision-making process, and there’s no guarantee that the page will probably be an exact reflection of the student, as it varies according to just how well an instructor or therapist understands the pupil and how much knowledge they have concerning the procedure.
‘Students, particularly in the schools that are really competitive top-tier and Ivy schools, may be at a drawback due to that,’ explains Polin. ‘Because when you are referring to pupils that go right to the schools that are top-top the nation, those teachers along with other guidance counselors are adept and extremely well-trained and well-versed in precisely what to set up those letters that they know very well what precisely the admission counselors are seeking and what things to home in on…but in public areas schools where instructors are probably overworked more and also large caseloads, the letters might not be as strong.’
To help pupils to make requests for letters of guidelines, Polin asks them to make a ‘cheat sheet’ for the teacher which has certain anecdotes about on their own which will help them in developing their suggestion letters.
What to anticipate When Doing A Transfer Application
Despite your absolute best efforts, you’ll find so many explanations why you might decide to transfer colleges. A great amount of pupils, for one explanation or another, might find that they are unhappy making use of their first option college, or possibly the institution they ended up going to at first was not their first choice anyway, in addition they require a shot that is second. Maybe they will have unearthed that their current school does not have a program that is strong their major or area of interest, or maybe the pupil merely wants to save some tuition bucks by moving to a cheaper college nearer to house.
Transferring colleges can be a great move if you’re sure the newest school provides possibilities your school lacks. That said, transferring involves a credit card applicatoin procedure (frequently including procuring another set of recommendation letters, resubmitting test ratings and writing a lot more essays), and competition for open spots could be intense, especially at prestigious and highly-selective schools. There’s also some key distinctions you’ll notice from applying to universities the time that is first.
Brand New School, New Grades
Having a transfer application, your senior high school transcript and test scores will usually simply take a straight back seat to your university transcript. Standardized test ratings are utilized (in theory) to anticipate university grades. Even though some schools will want to see still your SAT or ACT scores, these are typically less crucial once you’ve university grades. Therefore whilst it’s constantly crucial that you shoot to find the best markings in course, earning grades that are strong university has an added weight if you hope to impress another college having a transfer application.
Do not Waste Time Deciding on A Transfer
The policies that colleges have in place for transfer pupils will be different, however it is typical for the university to anticipate you to definitely have obtained a minimal amount of credits. It is additionally vital to remember that you may have harder time moving if you have experienced university for the longer time frame aswell. In specific, students who have completed a lot more than two years of research will face more trouble, even when they abandon a number of the credit they have accrued.
Being ‘Undecided’ Is Not Any Longer an Option
Universities usually anticipate transfer applicants to have clear, compelling reasons that are academic attempting to switch schools. The best explanation is a solid need to pursue a training course of research or experience that is not provided by your overall school. You’ll have to make your case at length and stay convincing. A transfer applicant, unlike an applicant that is first-year can’t get away with being ‘undecided’ about educational or job goals.
Research What You’ll Gain by Transferring, But Additionally Exactly What you may Lose
Of course, transferring can influence your intended graduation date or study abroad plans. Be familiar with the policies at your potential transfer college. Only a few classes or credits are transferable, and some schools will not accept credit from the class in the event that you earned below essay writer a C. be sure you’re fully aware of everything you’ll be leaving at your school that is old before a choice to move.
Along with of that said, and also as with any facet of the college application procedure, you need to weigh the good qualities and cons when applying for a transfer — remember that your college that is overall experience be your priority and that that in itself hinges on many facets. But be confident that attempting to transfer universities is not an abnormality, and that it’s completely a possibility.