What do they want in a letter of rec

Colleges & Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>What makes a good letter of recommendation?</p>

<p>What does Stanford like to see in a letter of recommendation?</p>

<p>How much weight are put on recs?</p>

<p>Also how much does the additional rec help if it is from a research mentor who you did research with.</p>

2

<p>bumpity bump bump bump</p>

3

<p>At 99% of U’s LoR don’t matter. At the top U’s they are very important. A genic letter will hurt you so you need to pick someone who will fight for you. A good letter should be an elaboration of a kindergarten report card.

  1. A joy to have in class. Quick learner, intellectual curiosity, uses resources, makes the classroom and school better and more enjoyable, fun to teach, what other teachers say about him, helps others, leads by example, integrity, smiling, happy.
  2. Plays well with the other kids. Gets along with peers, well respected, voted captain of, president of, editor of, most likely to…a leader, everything he does turns golden.
  3. Good citizenship award. He understands there is more to the world than his AP physics grade. He uses his high IQ to make the school and community better. He is a “go to” kid when something needs to get done at school. Its nice his SAT scores are high but better if he helps peers fighting to get their SAT math scores over 500.</p>

<p>Give examples that will touch the heart of the adcom trying to decide between 10 other brilliant students. You want the adcom to think “I want this kid in my school”.</p>

4

<p>They want specific examples of your intellectual capabilities. How did you think/ interact in the classroom?
Example: My junior English teacher asked me for my essays, probably to cite examples of my work.</p>

<p>Hope this helps :)</p>

5

<p>One thing they’ll most definitely look for since it’s not evident in pretty much all other parts of the application are whether you’re amicable to others or not. Schools - especially these high level schools, and especially places like MIT where they want cooperation - don’t want students who are not liked because of their personality, character, behavior towards others, etc. I guess the recs are where this can be shown? That’s why they advise you ask teachers who know you as someone more than just an academic. They want to see your personality and that you get along with everyone.</p>

6

<p>A grade alone doesn’t say much. Everyone you’re competing with has the same grade you do.</p>

<p>Your recommender must say how you compare to others, preferably how you rank among students in the last several years. You must be the best or rank among the best.</p>

<p>How well do you function in a group? Being the smart quiet kid who hangs back will get you no points. Are you a leader? Do you help groups reach consensus about good ideas?</p>

<p>Are you willing to challenge authority when doing so is warranted?</p>

<p>Anything you do that comes off as extra. Work, research, helping others.</p>

7

<p>OP…a very useful guide your teachers can refer to…</p>

<p>[Writing</a> Recommendations | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs]Writing”>How to write good letters of recommendation | MIT Admissions)</p>

<p>hope it helps…</p>