Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

Letters of Recommendation

Counselor Letter of Recommendation

You will need a counselor letter of recommendation if you are applying to universities via www.commonapp.org.

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability (the more detailed your answer, the better your letter of recommendation!). Talk to your college counselor and email your answers to them by June 15 to have your letter ready by August. During the school year allow at least 3 weeks notice before the application deadline. ALSO ATTACH YOUR COLLEGE RESUME.

  1. Name
  2. What college major(s) are you considering and why you chose it
  3. Who do you live with? Are you parents married/divorced/deceased/incarcerated or are you in foster care? Explain your family situation. How many siblings do you have?
  4. Did either of your biological parents complete a 4 year Bachelors Degree?
  5. Where do your parents work? What do they do for a living?
  6. What country were you born in? If not the US, when did you come to the US?
  7. What extra curricular activity has impacted you the most (in school or in the community) and give details to explain your choice.
  8. What award/accomplishment has meant the most to you and why?
  9. What academic project or paper impacted you the most and describe in detail how it has helped you grow as a student? If you wrote a paper, give in depth details as to what you wrote about and how this knowledge changed how you view the world.
  10. Give 3 adjectives to describe yourself and specific examples to back up why you believe these to be a good descriptor of you.
  11. What is the greatest obstacle you have overcome in your life thus far and how it has impacted you.
  12. Name one thing you wish was different about the world we live in.

Teacher Letter of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation hold substantial weight in college admission decisions. A well-written letter for an outstanding applicant can highlight impressive characteristics beyond his/her own self-advocacy. Colleges are looking for people who have and will make and impact—the difference between a letter that supports and a letter that raves about a special student.

Download this template for an excellent teacher letter of recommendation.