RECOMMENDATIONS

As many of you may know, I’m moving to New Zealand in a few months. However, many of you may not have heeded advice to get recommendations, as you’re still....Juniors.

Keeping the End in Mind: 

For all intents and purposes, most of you are SENIORS. 

To avoid extra hassles from long distance correspondence and to get general scholarship and college recommendations from teachers, coaches, religious leaders, supervisors et cetera,

1. Send teacher/coach/supervisors Resume with Overall and English GPAs.    

   Be sure to let receiver know:

    A  - to whom are we writing this recommendation

        - deadlines

        - what are colleges, internships or scholarships specifically looking for?

    B - years of volunteering, sports, organizations, clubs 
              briefly describe what your roles and responsibilities              were within organizations or volunteering

                   and

    C - write four [4] adjectives which describe you best.

2. For those who have not created a Resume yet, 

e-mail Overall GPA and individual English from 9th and 11th grades

Be sure to let receiver know:

    A  - to whom are we writing this recommendation

        - deadlines

        - what are colleges, internships or scholarships specifically looking for?

    B - years of volunteering, sports, organizations, clubs and

    C - 4 adjectives which describe you best.

Give teachers, advisors et cetera 2-3 months advance notice for these recommendations. Respect their time. Realize putting off asking people will result in poorly written, incomplete recommendations.

_____________________________________________

Even if you feel like your lower grades from 9th or 10th grade are NOT suitable for a recommendation, keep in mind:

Scholarship and Entrance Boards love to see: 

1. IMPROVEMENT - 

therefore, that 65 in 9th which has gradually improved to an 80 by 11th shows them you have not only matured, you have managed to improve while materials have become more rigorous.

2. Well-Rounded Individuals -

lower grades [75 - 85] may be a result of a scholar who has consistently been active within their community, on successful sports or clubs, creatively active or otherwise stressed with family obligations.

This is why all those extras are important, especially those you have done for two or more years.


“It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another, without helping himself,”                                                                          ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson