Strategies For Writing Recommendation Letters
At ReachIvy, we understand that your decision to earn an Ivy League degree is a life-changing experience and one that will involve a tremendous amount of effort, time and energy to get accepted.
Whether you are applying to Harvard or Stanford, a critical component of your application package is the letter of recommendation. Schools are eager to know how individuals who have known you personally or professionally speak about your personality, work ethics, experience, discipline, and intellect. A strong letter of recommendation provides insights that cannot be deciphered by simply reviewing an applicant’s scores and resume. Letters help in illustrating the qualities of an applicant in-depth with specific examples. The admissions committee can understand your work responsibilities and your position within a company. They also serve as proof in delivering the committee an important perspective on your potential and credentials.
Dawna Clarke, director of admissions at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business says, “I really rely on the recommendation because I see it as an objective form of information. I don’t have a problem with a student sitting down and talking to a recommender, but I am trying to wrap my head around the authenticity of the recommendations.”
Therefore, choosing the right advisor is absolutely mandatory.
Top 5 tips for your letters of recommendation:
1) Choose colleagues, supervisors or professors who have known you for an extended time period.
2) Do not force-fit a CEO or a famous alumnus from the school who barely knows you and met you once at a party! It is more important that the recommender you choose knows you intimately.
3) Make sure that the recommenders reconfirm what you have been writing about in your application.
4) Ask the recommenders to validate their points with specific examples.
5) Do not write your own recommendation letter. The Admissions Board can quickly identify such a letter because they read several recommendations each year.
ReachIvy offers college application resume writing services to aspiring students willing to study abroad. Submit a Query now!
ReachIvy sincerely hopes that this article serves as a critical tool to increase your knowledge base. For study abroad consultation or career counselling with ReachIvy, Submit a Query now! Also, review our resources section to access our free premium content.
