THROUGH
THROUGH NOW, WHICH IS GETTING THE APPLYING TO COLLEGE PROCESS
STARTED HERE AS WE GET TOWARD
HALLOWEEN AND THINGS GIVING.
>> IT TURNS OUT THAT
RECOMMENDATION LETTERS ARE
STILL MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
FOR KIDS LOOKING TO GET INTO A
COMPETITIVE SCHOOL.
COMPETITIVE SCHOOL. WE HAVE LINDA MORGAN, OUR
PARENT EXPERT AND AUTHOR
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THESE
LETTERS.
LETTERS.
LETTERS. BECAUSE REALLY, THAT IS THE
RIGHT WAY TO DO IT, WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT HEADLINES OF
THE WRONG WAY TO DO IT.
>> YOU TELL YOUR PE TEACHER
VIEWS SAYS CHEMISTRY TEACHER.
>> IT IS HARDER TO DO THAT
BECAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO BOTH LETTERS.
SOMETIMES TEACHERS WILL NOT LET
STUDENTS SEE THEM.
RECOMMENDATION LETTERS HAVE
BECOME MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE
REALLY, THESE COLLEGES GET SO
MANY APPLICATIONS, AND THEY
START TO LOOK THE SAME AFTER A
WHILE.
WHILE.
WHILE. SO, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY CAN
PUT THE STUDENT IN A CONTEXT OF
THEIR CLASSROOM AND THEIR
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. AND IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT
THAT -- THAN IT IS ON THE REST
OF THE APPLICATION, WHICH IS
MAINLY QUANTITATIVE, OTHER THAN
THE ESSAY.
THE ESSAY. NOT ALL COLLEGES REQUIRE A
RECOMMENDATION LETTER, FOR
EXAMPLE WE NEVER SEE WASHINGTON
, DOESN'T, PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
TYPICALLY DON'T.
TYPICALLY DON'T. THE PRIVATE COLLEGES DO.
THEY USUALLY ASK FOR TWO FROM
TEACHERS AND ONE FROM A
COUNSELOR AND OCCASIONALLY A
STUDENT CAN GET ONE EXTRA ONE,
THE COLLEGE IS DIFFERENT ON
THIS, FROM SOMEBODY LIKE A
COACH OR A MUSIC TEACHER.
>> HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT
THE TEACHER IS GIVING A
RECOMMENDATION LETTER THAT YOU
WOULD WANT YOUR --
>> WELL, THIS IS --
>> THAT IS THE MILLION-DOLLAR
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. >> IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
WHAT WE TELL STUDENTS IS TO
REALLY BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHO THE
APPROACH.
APPROACH.
APPROACH. FIRST OF ALL, APPROACH THEM IN
PERSON, SO STUDENTS SHOULD NOT
DO THIS OVER EMAIL OR TEXT.
A STUDENT SHOULD DO THIS IN
PRISON.
PRISON.
PRISON. AND THEN, A STUDENT SHOULD
THINK ABOUT WHO THEY WANT TO
WRITE THE RECOMMENDATION
LETTER, AND SOMETIMES KIDS WILL
GO FOR THE POPULAR TEACHER OR
THE OUTGOING ONE, OR THE
CHARISMATIC ONE, OR EVEN THE
ONE WHO MAYBE THEY THINK, THE
PERSON IS A GOOD WRITER.
REALLY, THINK ABOUT WHO THINKS
A LOT OF YOU AS A STUDENT.
WHAT CLASSES HAVE YOU DONE WELL
IN?
IN?
IN? AND
IN? AND HAVE YOU EXCELLED IN, HEAVY
SHOULD ENERGY IN, ENTHUSIASM.
MAYBE EVEN A LATER.
THAT IS A YOU GO TO.
THAN THE OTHER THING IS, THE
WAY TO ASK.
AND THIS IS WHERE STUDENTS
REALLY -- SOME OF THEM ARE SHY.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE SHY,
IT IS THE TIME TO BE RESPECTFUL
AND ASSERTIVE AND ACTUALLY SAY
TO A TEACHER, CAN YOU WRITE ME
A STRONG, POSITIVE LETTER?
IT IS OKAY TO DO THAT.
AND, WHAT YOU HOPEFULLY HERE
IS, SURE I CAN, HAPPY TO DO IT.
IF THE TEACHER HESITATES OR YOU
HEAR SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW,
I HAVE A LOT ON MY PLATE RIGHT
NOW, I AM REALLY BUSY.
THEN, WALK THE OTHER WAY.
FIND SOMEBODY ELSE.
THE LAST THING YOU WANT IS A SO-
SO, BLAND LETTER.
YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO IS REALLY
IN YOUR CORNER, YOU WANT THAT
TO REALLY SHOW UP IN THE WAY IT
IS WRITTEN.
IS WRITTEN. >> YOU HAVE GOT TO TRUST THEM
THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE IT
AND RUN WITH IT AND GIVE YOU A
PASSIONATE RECOMMENDATION.
PASSIONATE RECOMMENDATION. LET'S SAY I HAVE APPROACHED A
TEACHER AND HAVE A GOOD TEACHER
LIKE HIM YOU MENTIONED A COACH,
WHO MIGHT BE ANOTHER ADULT,
WOULD IT BE WISE TO GET IT FROM
ANOTHER TEENAGER?
ANOTHER TEENAGER? >> NO, NO, NO.
THEY REALLY ASK SPECIFICALLY
WHO THEY WANT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS LETTERS FROM.
SO TYPICALLY IT IS FROM TWO
TEACHERS AND A COUNSELOR.
AND OCCASIONALLY, FROM SOMEBODY
WHO SEES THAT STUDENT IN
ANOTHER ARENA, SUCH AS A MUSIC
TEACHER OR DANCE TEACHER OR
COACH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT ALSO, WHAT IS REALLY
HELPFUL IS FOR THE STUDENTS TO
SUPPLY THESE TEACHERS OR
COUNSELORS WITH INFORMATION.
AND USUALLY THEY WANT THAT,
BECAUSE THESE TEACHERS ARE VERY
BUSY, THEY ARE WRITING A LOT OF
LETTERS, AND IT IS HELPFUL FOR
THEM TO GET SOME INFORMATION.
RESUME, OR LIST OF ACTIVITIES,
OR EVEN A PARAGRAPH DETAILING
WHY YOU LIKE THEIR CLASS, MAYBE
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE THAT MAKES
YOU STAND OUT, MAYBE YOU HAVE
ORGANIZED A STUDY GROUP THAT
SHOWS LEADERSHIP.
SHOWS LEADERSHIP. MAYBE YOU HELPED OTHER
STUDENTS, THAT SHOWS COMPASSION.
THINK STRATEGICALLY.
THINK STRATEGICALLY. >> ONE MORE QUESTION.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY BUZZWORDS?
BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT WHEN
PEOPLE APPLY FOR JOBS AND
RESUMES, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW,
USING ALL THESE BUZZWORDS TO
GET THE JOB.
WITH THERE BE ANY BUZZWORDS
THAT MIGHT SET OFF AN
ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR?
ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR? >> ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS LOVE
LEADERSHIP, THEY LOVE
INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY.
INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY. THEY LIKE INNOVATORS, THEY LIKE
PEOPLE TO TAKE RISKS.
THEY LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT KIDS
WHO HAVE OVERCOME CHALLENGES.
SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
THESE TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS
CAN DO IS SOMETIMES THE TEACHER
CAN EXPLAIN A GLITCH IN THE
REPLICATION.
REPLICATION. MAYBE THE STUDENT HAS GOTTEN A
BAD GRADE AND MAYBE THERE'S A
REASON FOR THAT, SO YOU CAN!
IT.
IT.
IT. AND
IT. AND THEN MAYBE THE STUDENT HAS
COME OUT ON TOP.
AND THAT IS HELPFUL AND
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP THE
STUDENT.
STUDENT.
STUDENT. >>