Saturday, March 18, 2006
I Don't Like My Letter of Recommendation!
Dear Guidance Guy,
My guidance counselor wrote me a letter of recommendation for college, and I don't like it. I'm not a great student and he said so in the letter. He also said a lot of nice stuff too. He said I have a lot of potential but I haven't started being a good student yet.
What he wrote is basically the truth and he's a good person and counselor. I'm just scared that colleges will read the part about me not doing really well and not accept me.
What should I do? Should I ask him to write another letter? Should I call the colleges myself and tell them I don't agree with it? I don't want the letter to keep me out of college.
Nervous Senior
*****
Dear Nervous,
College admissions officers read thousands of letters from counselors every year. Most of them look very much alike. And many of them don't say a whole lot about the student. So in a sense you're lucky that the counselor is writing something personal about you.
When the admissions officers look at your file, they'll check your transcript, which has your grades and class rank (if your school uses class rank). So they'll right away what kind of student you are. Your counselor's comments about you won't make your grades any more obvious. If anything, they will explain some things about you the transcript doesn't say, like what kind of person you are and what kind of potential you have.
I would suggest your college admission essay would be a good place to add onto the good stuff your counselor says about you. Write about how you would do things differently if given a second chance, and how you've learned from your mistakes.
There are many kids competing for acceptance at college. If your grades aren't attractive to colleges, trying to cover them up with a less than honest letter of recommendation won't help. On the other hand, an honest one that talks about real potential could be the best thing that happens to you! Go with that theme and see where it leads.
All The Best,
The Guidance Guy
My guidance counselor wrote me a letter of recommendation for college, and I don't like it. I'm not a great student and he said so in the letter. He also said a lot of nice stuff too. He said I have a lot of potential but I haven't started being a good student yet.
What he wrote is basically the truth and he's a good person and counselor. I'm just scared that colleges will read the part about me not doing really well and not accept me.
What should I do? Should I ask him to write another letter? Should I call the colleges myself and tell them I don't agree with it? I don't want the letter to keep me out of college.
Nervous Senior
*****
Dear Nervous,
College admissions officers read thousands of letters from counselors every year. Most of them look very much alike. And many of them don't say a whole lot about the student. So in a sense you're lucky that the counselor is writing something personal about you.
When the admissions officers look at your file, they'll check your transcript, which has your grades and class rank (if your school uses class rank). So they'll right away what kind of student you are. Your counselor's comments about you won't make your grades any more obvious. If anything, they will explain some things about you the transcript doesn't say, like what kind of person you are and what kind of potential you have.
I would suggest your college admission essay would be a good place to add onto the good stuff your counselor says about you. Write about how you would do things differently if given a second chance, and how you've learned from your mistakes.
There are many kids competing for acceptance at college. If your grades aren't attractive to colleges, trying to cover them up with a less than honest letter of recommendation won't help. On the other hand, an honest one that talks about real potential could be the best thing that happens to you! Go with that theme and see where it leads.
All The Best,
The Guidance Guy
