The College Recommendation Letter from Your Counselor: Do you really need it?

The answer is Yes!

As you begin to apply to colleges, you will find that most colleges will ask for recommendation letters to go with or upload to their application.

One of the most commonly used application these days is The Common App. It is electronic and everything can be done online. In the past, they asked Counselors to write a recommendation letter for the student, but this  year, counselors can opt out.

So how important is that recommendation letter from your counselor? It turns out it’s very important!  According to an article found in the Huffington Post called “A Hidden Gem: The Counselor Recommendation”:

“The school counselor recommendation is one of the most important and overlooked portions of the college admissions process.

This year, the Common Application has added two options for school counselors to decline sending an evaluation for students:

• "I do not have sufficient personal knowledge of this student."

• "The demands of my counseling load do not afford me sufficient time."

With these new options, it is critical that you give school counselors a reason to write you evaluations by developing a personal connection and showing sincere effort in your academics and extracurricular activities.”

This article goes over all the reasons why this is so important and gives great tips and a step-by-step approach to getting the best letter of recommendation you can.
Link:  A Hidden Gem: The Counselor Recommendation

Another article “5 Ways You Can Help Your Counselor Write a Better Recommendation Letter” has great tips for helping YOU help your counselor to write a great letter of recommendation.

“Most colleges will tell you that the school-based counselor recommendation is one of the most important elements of your application. And they will also tell you that “generic” or “cut and paste” narratives don’t do much to further an applicant’s candidacy for admission.”

This article goes into detail regarding the steps you need to take to get the best letter of recommendation you can. It helps you streamline the process to work to your advantage.

Link: 5 Ways You Can Help Your Counselor Write a Better Recommendation

We already have a great tool right here in the Counseling office to help you in getting a more personalized letter of recommendation: the letter of recommendation worksheet. 

You just fill this out as completely as you can, turn it in and that will give your counselor something to go on.

You can also come in and fill out a request to see your counselor and they will call you in so you can talk to them about the process. They will be classrooms and  have workshops in the Navi Lab throughout the school year to help you.

The counselors are here to give you the tools to help you get a head start on your future. Utilize your resources! EHS wants our students to succeed!