By Sarah Arnold, Editor
With college tuition higher than ever, college-bound students look for scholarships and grants to help cover costs. A simple way to increase the chances of receiving that scholarship is to get a letter of recommendation.
A letter of recommendation is a statement from an individual that states good qualities and strengths of a student for a specific scholarship or college application, counselor Maria Mecic said. A teacher, counselor, coach, employer, volunteer coordinator or church leader usually writes the letter. Students seeking a letter should ask someone who would have something good to say about them.
“When a student I don’t know very well asks me to write them a letter, it tends to be less personalized and shorter,” English teacher Patty Welker said.
Students should ask two to three people to write letters. Mecic recommended picking an adult the student has a good relationship with. Senior Aaron Lamp’s goal is to go to a four-year college and play baseball.
“I’m hoping to get a scholarship to play. College is so expensive, it would be awesome if I got money to play,” he said.
Lamp is planning to ask both a teacher and coach to write his letters.
“The more, the better,” he said.
Letters of recommendation give colleges and organizations a better idea of what someone is about, Mecic said.
“It shows the stuff you could never show someone with only a transcript,” she said.
It’s never too early to ask someone to write a letter of recommendation, Mecic said.
“It’s very important to not wait until the last minute to ask a teacher or coach,” Mecic said.
In most cases, the writer of the letter will give it back to the student to mail in. Sometimes the writers will send it in themselves. To help the writer out, it’s a good idea to bring a resume of experiences in and outside of school to help them get to know the student better, Mecic said.