Some Wish to Eliminate Recommendation Letters

Imagine a world in which applicants to our nation’s highly selective colleges can earn admission without test scores, grades, letters of recommendation, activities, and essays. Imagine a world in which applicants to our nation’s highly selective colleges can earn admission with only a smile. We’re kidding. Or are we kidding? … 

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How to Influence What Teachers Write in Letters of Recommendation

When many students and especially their parents — students and parents who are not our clients but are instead reaching out to us as prospective clients — hear us mention teacher letters of recommendation, they often say something like, “We already asked the teachers for letters. That’s all set. We … 

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Shame on a UMichigan Professor

A University of Michigan professor refused to write a letter of recommendation for a student because that student happened to be applying to a semester abroad program in Israel. You see, this professor, John Cheney-Lippold, an associate professor in Michigan’s American culture and digital studies department, is a champion of an … 

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Impressive Letters of Recommendation

There was an outstanding editorial a few days back in “The New York Times” that caught our eye. It’s one we just had to share with our readers. The op-ed, entitled “Check This Box If You’re a Good Person” and written by Dartmouth admissions officer Rebecca Sabky, is — to … 

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Additional College Letters of Recommendation

We call them the stuffers. But, Ivy Coach, what pray tell are stuffers? Allow us to explain. Stuffers are students (and parents) who like to send the kitchen sink to highly selective college admissions offices. Maybe it’s a family photo album. Or a home-cooked meal delivered fresh to a student’s … 

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Rescinded Letter of Recommendation

When a teacher or school counselor writes a letter of recommendation on behalf of a student, that teacher or counselor is vouching for that student — or not depending upon the content of the letter. The teacher is conveying what they know about the student’s character, intellectual curiosity, interests, and more. … 

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Being Proactive with Letters of Recommendation

Jon Boeckendstedt, the associate vice president for enrollment management and marketing (we need a breath…that title is long!) at DePaul University in Chicago recently wrote a piece for “The Washington Post” about how letters of recommendation are a particularly unfair component of the college admissions process. His assertion largely centers … 

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Berkeley Letters of Recommendation

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about how the University of California, Berkeley was choosing to defy a long tradition among the University of California schools by encouraging applicants to submit letters of recommendation. No other University of California school accepts letters of recommendation. Their argument? They argue that they … 

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Which Teachers to Ask For Letters of Rec

Parents so often ask us which teachers their children should ask to write letters of recommendation on their behalf. It should be the teachers who they best feel can articulate what your child brings to the class. So often, students choose a math teacher because the student got the highest grade … 

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Getting Teacher Letters of Rec

If you are a rising high school senior and haven’t done so already (which would have been ideal while you were still in school), now is a great time to be asking teachers for a letter of recommendation. Approach them in the fall for a letter of recommendation and your … 

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