Description: Informational Video About How to Get Great Teacher Letters of Recommendation for College Applications. Learn How to Secure the Best Possible Letters!
Transcription: Charlotte: I am here with my English teacher, Mrs. Wilson. I asked Mrs. Wilson if she could write my letter of recommendation for college a while back. When I asked her, this is what went through her head…
Mrs. Wilson: I thought I do not know this young woman at all. She sat in the back of my class and barely spoke up throughout the entire year. She got good grades on tests and papers but I hardly know her. How could I write a whole letter about her? I know! I’ll just use the letter I wrote for Sarah Gold and replace Sarah’s name with this young woman’s. What’s your name again?
Charlotte: Charlotte.
Mrs. Wilson: Right. Charlotte.
Charlotte: This all could have gone down differently. First of all, I should not have asked Mrs. Wilson to write my letter of recommendation. She doesn’t even know my name. It’s going to be the most generic letter saying absolutely nothing of substance ever. Just because I got a great grade in her class doesn’t mean her letter will be powerful. It’s better to get a powerful letter from a teacher who gave you a “B” in their class than from a teacher who hardly knows you who gave you a perfect grade. College admissions counselors can already see that I got a perfect grade in this class on my transcript after all. They want to know about me beyond what they can see on the transcript.
Mrs. Wilson: The truth is I hate writing letters of recommendation. They take so much time. I don’t get paid for them. I’d rather go out salsa dancing with my husband. I always secretly wish a student will write their own letter of recommendation and then I’ll just cut and paste some of their paragraphs. That would be so much easier. Nobody knows a student better than they know themselves. I have hundreds of students! I don’t have time for this. I want to go salsa dancing!
Charlotte: And that’s exactly what Ivy Coach told me to do. To write my own letter of recommendation to present nicely to my teacher as something that can help as they write their letter on your behalf. Visit www.theivycoach.com for more helpful advice and sign up for a free thirty minute consultation for Ivy Coach’s college counseling services today!
