A Third Party Perspective - The Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation attest to your accomplishments and achievements and do so in an important way. It shows the scholarship selection committee that not only you, as the applicant, feel that you are worthy of the scholarship but that other people have recognized all you are capable of and think you are also worthy of the scholarship. Letters of recommendation weigh heavily with a selection committee because they show you from another person’s perspective and the person recommending you gives their name and signature, a high testament to their faith and belief in you as a student.
Who Should I Choose?
When choosing someone to write a letter of recommendation for you, be sure you are choosing someone who knows you well enough to be able to write a strong letter for you. The person you select should be someone who knows you well enough to know your strengths and weaknesses and to recognize the traits and characteristics you possess which would make you a good selection. In addition to being someone who has a good idea about you as a person, make sure it is someone reliable who can be trusted to meet deadlines on time and who can write well enough to influence the selection committee into remembering your application.
Selection committee reviewers like to read letters of recommendation from those who not only know your strengths as a student in the classroom, but who recognize your talents in other activities and pursuits. Coaches, activity coordinators, counselors or advisors and employers are all good choices and will be credible when extolling your virtues. Again, be certain the person you are asking is familiar enough with your abilities to be able to write a strong letter truly showcasing those talents. Write down a list of all the potential people you might ask for letters of recommendation and why you think they would be a good choice. Each scholarship you apply for may have different application requirements regarding letters of recommendation, and you may have to ask different people to provide letters for you based on the scholarship for which you are applying.
What Does the Selection Committee Want?
Read the application carefully and pay close attention to the letter of recommendation guidelines. Does the committee want only one letter or several? Does the committee require a letter to be from a teacher or from the headmaster or principal? Does one letter have to be from someone who has known you for a set length of time? You are in charge of relaying all instructions on the application to your recommender. Often times, the person you have chosen may not have access to all the same material you do or may overlook an important piece of information. Be sure you are aware of the requirements specifying who must recommend you and what information they should provide.
Once you have compiled your list of recommenders and have matched them with each scholarship and its requirements, you are ready to actually ask for the letter. Writing a letter of recommendation is not an easy task and requires much thought and preparation. Be sure to leave your recommender plenty of time to write the recommendation and send it in by the required deadline. Make sure you have given your letter writer all information necessary and any mailing instructions. Remember, your letter writer probably has received multiple requests from other students for letters, perhaps even for the same scholarship. Be sure you have given your letter writer adequate time and have been courteous and respectful of the time this person has taken to write for you.
Express Your Gratitude
Once your writer has sent in your recommendation, be sure to thank them. Write them a thank you note expressing your gratitude and keep them updated on your scholarship status. Recommenders write for you out of their own desire to see you succeed and to help you achieve your goals and they appreciate hearing whether you received the scholarship or whether their recommendation was helpful.