What constitutes a great/excellent teacher letter of recommendation?

Applying to College
1

<p>Sorry if this is a dumb question but I've been reading through some decisions threads and a lot of people say that they got excellent rec letters from teachers while others say it was a "form letter". So, I was just wondering how you know the difference- Are the better ones just more personal? </p>

<p>For example, some of my teachers have written me letters of different forms and one in particular listed everything from my resume but linked them together in a very positive and flattering light. Would that be considered a form letter or what? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>What you have mentioned is a good rec, but it is generic. A great rec is more personal and does more than list what your resume says. For example an anecdote from the teacher that is personal, or a comment about how you are the best student the teacher has ever come across.</p>

3

<p>How do people even know what the letter says?</p>

<p>Aren’t teachers supposed to mail it in without showing it to you?</p>

4

<p>Some teachers will let you read over them, some will seal it and send it in. It just depends.</p>

5

<p>Meaningful anecdotes that support non-superficial statements of character.</p>

<p>I would be impressed by a recommendation that talks about a student quietly spending time every day to help his classmates learn a difficult topic, and then calls him “humble” or “self-effacing.”</p>

<p>I wouldn’t be impressed by a recommendation that talks about how a student contributes to discussions all the time and calls him “motivated.”</p>

<p>Both are more than generalizations and both are positive, but the latter is something you can learn elsewhere in the application.</p>

6

<p>Those people thought they were good for whatever reason. It does NOT mean admissions committees thought the recommendations were good.</p>