Worried about Letter of Rec...

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello, I am feeling quite concerned about my letter of recommendation. I had received the letter from one of the teachers that I had requested, and they said that they did not mind if I looked at the letter. The teacher was really great, I did well in the class, (got a five on the exam), but I just feel that the letter is kind of, well, not what I had expected.</p>

<p>I remember going to a Vanderbilt University information session and one of the admissions counselors was commenting on how some teachers told specific stories about the students, etc. and the admissions really got a feel of what the student was like. The letter that I received has me kind of worried. Should I be?</p>

2

<p>I’m guessing you’re saying that your letter was a bit on the “generic” side? If that’s the case, then it’s okay, and definitely no going to hurt you. However, it also won’t really help you a lot, seeing as they’re not really getting a good window into ‘you’.You don’t need to be worried, so long as it was positive…</p>

3

<p>I think it should be ok. I mean, I’m guessing that you thought the letter was too generic. That shouldn’t hurt you in any way. However, if you feel like you’ve had instances with the teacher that you thought were really good and the teacher forgot to mention that, maybe you can sort of tell her to add that anecdote in there. Most teachers wouldn’t mind adding a few more things in if they’re willing to show you the letters they wrote.</p>

4

<p>

Your suspicions seem to be well founded. A <em>strong</em> letter conveys a sense of the applicant and gets the adcoms thinking they want the kid in their school. A bland “joe did fine in my class” letter doesn’t help you stand out. That said, if you’re not applying to highly selective schools then the admission process is based mostly on grades and scores and the recs are not that important.</p>

5

<p>Print this out.
[MIT</a> Admissions | Info For Schools & Counselors: Writing Evaluations](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/schools/writing_evaluations/index.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/schools/writing_evaluations/index.shtml)</p>

<p>Many teachers aren’t familiar with what selective colleges are really wanting</p>

6

<p>My teacher has already written the letter, so I would feel kind of awkward if I went up to the teacher and said, “could you kind of improve the letter?” what should I do? Are the recommendations as big of a deal as I am making them out to be?</p>

7

<p>stop worrying for gods sake- this is why you don’t look at the letter… better peace of mind</p>