Lovely Letters

Hey everyone! Another step that is very important to your college application process is letters of recommendation.  Almost all private universities require letters of recommendation from a counselor and teachers, but most public schools do not. Since I am applying to a lot of private schools, this aspect of the application is very important to me.
Most of the time you are assigned to a school counselor who write about you, but the teachers are completely by choice. Because of this, it is very important you choose wisely. Try to pick teachers not just because you got a good grade in their class, but because they know you on a deeper level. Teachers who know about your work ethic and leadership can write a much more convincing letter to colleges about your academic ability than a teacher who knows nothing about you. Sometimes the best letters emerge from the classes your got lower grades in, because the teachers can comment on how hard you tired and you really worked for the grade you got. Some colleges require only one letter, but most require a letter from two teachers. The teachers who are writing your letters should also be teachers or a core curriculum class like math or science. I chose my United States History/Model UN teacher and Calculus teacher who is also my tennis coach because they both know me on levels both in and out of school.
Since the required letters must be from core curriculum classes, there is also opportunity to summit one or two additional letters from teachers, coaches, or any individual whose letter could add to your application. Pick a person who is unique to something you do, like the advisor of a club or community service coordinator.
All in all, the letter of recommendation is just one part of the rigorous process that is college applications. But with the right preparation and pick, it should be smooth sailing.

Who would write your letter of recommendation for college? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Mail Call

Hey everyone! Since we are getting into the prime time for testing and admissions, colleges start to search the country to find prospective students. Sure, it is up to the students to choose the college they want to go to, but colleges never want to miss out on any great students because they didn’t know about the school. That is why colleges send you information letters, lots of them. 
There are over 2000 colleges and universities in the US, and many of these colleges market themselves to attract highly qualified students.  So even though high school students are trying to make themselves look good for the colleges, the colleges are trying to make themselves look good to possible students. They use each student's test scores on the SAT and ACT and other information to find students they would like at their school. Once you start taking your college admission standardized tests, you include your email and your home address. Once the colleges receive word of your tests scores, they start sending you letters if your test scores are in the preferred range for that specific school. They try their hardest to contact students through mail, email and even phone calls home.They want all the best students they can get at their schools, so this sort of advertising helps all students know about schools they might not have known about before. But don’t worry, the test scores colleges see when they are sending out letters do not affect your application. You have plenty of time to get a score you are happy with, and colleges will even let you super score your test! (Meaning you can take your top scores from each section from different tests to combine and create a super score). Although these hundreds of letters are annoying at times, it is the best way to find out about colleges you never would have thought of before. And that’s worth it. So when you start taking standardized tests don’t be afraid to fill in your email and your house information, because it just might lead you to the college of your dreams.

Would you use college letters to find your college? Let me know in the comments! 

xoxo