Tag: Recommendation Letters
Impactful Recommendation Letters for Graduate Admissions
By Indhika, IvyWise Graduate Admissions Counselor Many graduate programs require three letters of recommendation as part of their application process. Recommendation letters are the only part of your application that you will not be able to review and, as such, it is important to identify recommendation letter writers that will most compellingly capture your skills, achievements, personal attributes, and potential contributions to the school you are applying to and field you are building a career in. While admissions committees read A LOT of recommendation letters that often sound very much alike, there are some recommendation letters that truly stand out and enhance an applicant’s profile.
College Recommendation Letters: Where to Start
Counselor and teacher recommendation letters are a big part of students’ college applications. According to NACAC, 87% of colleges assign some level of importance to teacher and counselor recommendations. Most colleges require recommendations letters for admission, so they’re critical to submitting a comprehensive and complete college application.
Making an Impact Inside and Outside of the Classroom
When applying to college, the goal of most students is to “stand out.” They want to know what they can do to differentiate themselves from the thousands of other applicants they are competing against to win a spot at their top-choice college. Some students think a stellar essay will separate them from the pack.
7 Tips for Applying to Graduate School
By IvyWise Graduate Admissions Counselors You made it to college! You’re attending the school of your dreams and enjoying all that college life has to offer. For most undergraduate students, graduate school is a possibility, but many aren’t sure until closer to application time.
Selecting Teachers to Write Letters of Recommendation
Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers as part of the college application. Colleges recognize that your teachers spend significant time with you and, therefore, trust them to provide a candid picture of who you are as a scholar and a person. At IvyWise, we encourage students to ask their teachers for letters before the end of junior year and then follow up at the beginning of senior year.
Striking a Balance: Working With Both Independent and School-Based College Counselors
Whether you’re working with your school-based college counselor, an independent college admissions consultant, or both during your college admissions journey, there’s one thing that you can’t afford to do, and that’s miss opportunities to tap the knowledge and resources of the staff and teachers at your school. I work as both an independent college counselor and as a college counselor at an independent high school, so I’m in a unique position to see that students can benefit the most when fully utilizing both professionals from their school and outside counselors or tutors. Time and time again I have worked with students on both sides who seem to think that since they are using an independent counselor, they don't have to meet with their college counselor or guidance counselor at school.
Students: Tips for Cultivating Teacher Relationships
Letters of recommendation, especially those from your junior year teachers, are a key component of your college applications. Colleges recognize that your teachers spend significant time with you and, therefore, trust them to provide a candid picture of who you are as a scholar and a person. The expert counselors at IvyWise have compiled the following tips to help you develop teacher relationships and leave a positive, lasting impression that will help you get those glowing letters of recommendation: Arrive to class on time, treat your peers respectfully, and be alert and engaged during class.
Summer Bucket List For Rising Seniors
Incoming senior, rising senior — these terms refer to a high school student who has just completed their junior year and will be starting their senior year in the fall. For many rising seniors, the end of their junior year marks the beginning of the long, and often stressful, college application process. While the full Common Application and school specific supplements aren't released until August, some essay topics have already been revealed, and many students are taking the initiative to begin working on their application essays over the long summer break.
How College Admissions Decisions Are Made and What to Do Next
IvyWise counselors Victoria and Christine break down the college admissions rubric and discuss examples of different hard and soft factors that admissions officers evaluate on the college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now! When making admissions decisions, colleges and universities in the US don’t just look at grades and test scores.
The Truth About Recommendation Letters
Grades and test scores are important factors when evaluating college applications, but they don't tell the whole story. When admissions officers evaluate applicants, they review both "hard factors" (quantitative measures like GPA) as well as "soft factors," such as essays, extracurricular activities, demonstrated interest, and recommendation letters. What role do letters of recommendation play during the college admissions process?
Tips for Chinese Students Applying to US Universities
In recent years, there has been a steady growth of Chinese students enrolling in US universities and colleges, with nearly 300,000 coming to the US for the 2013-14 academic year. Although this is a fairly small number compared to the nine million university students studying in China, the country has also seen a steady decrease in students who sit for its national college entrance exam, the Gaokao. This indicates that international education is unquestionably on the rise.
Behind on Your College Apps? Here’s How to Catch Up
Now that the early application round has closed, the window to craft thorough, compelling, and thoughtful regular decision applications is quickly closing. Many Regular Decision deadlines aren’t until January 1, so if you’re just now starting on your admissions journey, or need some help getting back on track, here’s what you need to do now in order to catch up and be ready to submit great applications by the regular decision deadlines. Make an appointment as soon as possible with your college counselor to go over your balanced college list (or what you have so far), what you need to do now to get on track, and collaborate on a plan of action.
College Recommendation Letter Guide for High School Seniors
By Kim, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor and former Admissions Officer at the University of Pennsylvania Since you likely won’t get to read your recommendation letters, they can be a pretty daunting part of the college application process. How do I know that my teacher or recommender will say something nice about me? How do I know if the letter is helpful?