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College Recommendation Tips

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Five Steps to Getting Perfect College Recommendations

1. Start Early
Most colleges require two teacher recommendations and a school report completed by your counselor, principal, or headmaster. Some schools also allow you to submit an extra recommendation. Giving out the recommendation forms early should be your first priority.

 

 

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2. Hunt Down The Best References
Identifying quality references is much like finding star witnesses for a courtroom. You want people who can testify in support of your strengths, who are believable, and who won't reveal anything incriminating. Essentially you want to find people who know your strengths and will attest to them.

 

 

 

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3. Give Them Everything They Need
Once you have your references, put together a packet with a cover letter, resume, and all of the forms that they need to fill out for the colleges. Be sure to include in the cover letter a list of all the deadlines. Also, spend the extra money and put stamps on the envelopes so all your recommenders have to do is drop their recommendations in the mailbox.

 

 

 

 

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4. Check In Often
Make sure that none of your recommendations are turned in late. It's your responsibility to make sure that your references are aware of the deadlines and complete everything on time. Without pestering, make sure you inquire every so often about the status of the recommendation. A subtle way to remind them is to send a thank you note a week before the recommendations are due.

 

 

 

 

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5.  Send Thank You Notes

It is important to show appreciation for the time and effort that has gone into writing a letter of recommendation.  Send a personalized thank you note to each of your references.