美國本科申請|與GPA、文書、標化一樣重要的推薦信如何準備？
大學之所以要求學生在申請時提交推薦信，目的只有兩個，他們需要證明這個學生：
1.how likely you are to succeed
2.how much you'll benefit the community you are going to join
如何讓大學知道選你會是一個好的選擇，推薦人與推薦內容至關重要。
今天，我們就跟大家詳細解讀下推薦信如何準備，推薦信的樣本點評，以及麻省理工學院，耶魯大學、賓夕法尼亞大學、哥倫比亞大學、達特茅斯學院、斯坦福大學這6所大學對于推薦信的特殊要求。
如何算是成功，怎么知道選你會是一個好的選擇，作為學生，評判的標準可能就是：
?硬性指標 - previous academic success is a great predictor of future academic success
?軟性指標?- certain personality traits are preferred: integrity, leadership, curiosity, creativity, empathy, perseverance, motivation, ambition, collaboration, confidence, and others. You don't need to be perfect in all dimensions, but some of these should apply strongly to you.
當你申請一個 highly selective 的學校時，與你競爭的對手幾乎每個人都有非常 strong 的 academic records, test scores, 這一點比較客觀，是硬性指標，那剩下的就是好的 personality traits, 軟性指標了，我想沒有人會自己說自己怎么不好，相反都會說自己如何具有上面提到的好的 personality traits, 所以老師在推薦信里的內容就變得更重要，因為它可以讓別人客觀地看到第三者對你的 personality traits 的評價。
一封好的推薦信應該是可以展現學生的個性和個人素質。你不希望老師寫的推薦信只是重復你的簡歷，它需要提供關于這個學生是怎樣一個人的額外信息，而且需要有許多的細節去證明。
1. 推薦信的數量
準備推薦信的時候，建議每所學校準備三封。不同的學校對推薦信數量的要求不一樣，有的要求一封，有的要求兩封。為了準備齊全，事先準備三封一定是足夠的了。
2. 推薦人的選擇
班主任老師或者輔導員，一定是推薦人的首選。因為他們是最了解學生以及和學生接觸地最多的人。他們對于學生的評價，是最具有說服力的。
其他兩封推薦信，應選擇對申請者比較熟悉的老師。招生官是想要通過推薦信來全面了解這名申請者，想要看到的是老師們真實的、客觀的評價。
如果學生已經有了有意向的申請專業，可以找和這個專業相關的任課老師來寫。但是這個并不是一定的，有的專業和自己的課程并沒有匹配，也不必要非要糾結于找一個和專業相關的老師。
老師對學生的了解決定了他/她會寫怎么樣的推薦信，溝通是了解的基礎，這種溝通包括課業上的，更包括課業之外的，學生對人對事的態度會表現在與老師接觸的點點滴滴中，不經意間老師會對學生的整體品質素質有所體會，這些是沒有人可以強加給老師的。
如果說申請大學招生官希望聽到學生的心聲，我想他們也同時希望聽到推薦老師的心聲，而不只是表面的東西。希望大家告訴自己的孩子，在整個高中階段除了努力學習外，要學會與老師很好地溝通，而這種溝通的本能可能是從很小的時候就慢慢養成。
3.推薦信何時準備
既然知道推薦信的重要性，就一定要確保學生在申請最早截止日期前至少一個月向推薦老師提出要求，甚至是越早越好。很多老師喜歡在夏天他們比較空閑的時候寫推薦信。如果學生需要提交早申請 (EA or ED), 那一定要在十二年級一開學就與推薦老師聯系，因為通常每個老師需要為很多位同學寫推薦信，這會花費他們大量的時間，老師只有在足夠寬松的時間里才能更好地完成推薦信。
Teacher Recommendation for David:
It is a great pleasure for me to recommend David for admission to MIT. He is one of the most extraordinary students I have encountered in 20 years of teaching. I taught David A.P. Calculus last year as a tenth grader, and he was one of the very top students in an extremely able group of mostly seniors. He has a high aptitude for math and was very much involved in his work, applying himself with persistence and dedication and often going beyond the regular class assignments.
我很高興推薦大衛去上麻省理工。他是我任教二十年里遇到的杰出學生之一。我去年在大衛十年級教他AP微積分課程。他在這個基本上由高年級學生組成的超能小組中名列前茅。大衛數學天賦很高，學習刻苦，專心致志，持之以恒，經常進行超出常規課業以外的學習。
David's abiding interest, however, is computer science. He has developed a series of "strands" for use in providing computerized drill and review in the basic skills and techniques of algebra and arithmetic and has recently adapted these to other subjects. David's work in this area has been so original and significant that he has published a paper on it and delivered several lectures to professionals in other parts of the country. This is a phenomenal accomplishment for anyone, especially a young man in rural Arkansas. It is also worth noting that both last year and this year David taught computer programming to a tenth grade class of mine for two weeks. He took over completely, preparing lectures, assignments, and tests with great care and thought. His lectures were clear and well organized, and it was obvious that he had expended a great deal of effort to make the course the success that it was.
但大衛對于計算機科學的興趣從來沒有改變。他已經開發出一系列 “鏈”，用于代數和算術基本技巧的計算機化訓練與復習，而且近期將這些“鏈”經過改編用于更多的課程。大衛在這個領域所做的工作具有重要創新意義，他為此發表論文，并在全國各地給專業人士做過幾場講座。這對于任何人來說都是現象級的成就，尤其是一位來自阿肯色州農村的小伙子。另外值得一提的是，大衛在過去兩年里還給我帶的十年級班上過兩周的計算機編程課。他是完全主導，從備課到作業和測試，都經過用心和思考。他授課清晰，組織有序，顯然付出很多努力才讓這門課獲得如此成功。
David's personal qualities are as impressive as his intellectual accomplishments. An extremely kind, sensitive and sensible boy, he has had a difficult family situation for a few years now. He provides emotional support to his mother through her battle with cancer without allowing the situation to undermine his own stability and accomplishments. He has exhausted all that we have to offer him in this small community, and the maturity that he has demonstrated leads me to believe him capable of entering college a year early, as he now plans to do. I sincerely hope that you will be able to offer him a place in MIT's freshman class.
就像他在智識方面的成就一樣，大衛的個人品質也令我印象深刻。大衛是一名非常友善、體貼和理性的男孩。他家里幾年以來都很困難。他一邊為跟癌癥搏斗的媽媽提供情感支持，一邊不讓家庭情況干擾自己的穩定和成績。他充分利用我們這個小社區所能提供的全部資源，而他展現的成熟讓我相信他能如計劃的那樣提前一年就上大學。我真誠地希望你們能在麻省理工新生班里為他提供一席之地。
點評：這封推薦信中的評語充分體現老師對這個學生非常熟悉。我們不僅清楚地感知大衛在智識上的能力，還有他在感情上的成熟。他對計算機編程的真愛也盡顯于老師的描述中。我們認識到大衛在自己的環境里一直都在探索學術的邊界，也一直為自己創造機會，這對于提前一年申請大學的候選人來說無疑是重要的品質。
1. 麻省理工學院 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
According to the official website of MIT:
A Guide To Writing Evaluations for MIT
Because of our highly competitive applicant pool, letters of recommendation hold substantial weight in our admissions decisions. A well-written letter for an outstanding applicant can highlight impressive characteristics beyond his/her own self-advocacy. We are looking for people who have and will make an impact—the difference between a letter that supports and a letter that raves about a special student.
Both guidance counselor and teacher evaluations are most helpful when they are specific and?storied. They should provide us with the information and impressions we cannot glean from the rest of the application. Try to give a complete sketch of the student and the context of his/her accomplishments. Support your conclusions with facts and anecdotes whenever possible. A story or incident that conveys the character or merit of the individual is more telling than a mere statement like "Mary is mature."
Try to address the following questions in your evaluation:
- What is the context of your relationship with the applicant? If you do not know the applicant well and are only able to write a brief summary, please acknowledge this.
- Has the student demonstrated a willingness to take intellectual risks and go beyond the normal classroom experience?
- Does the applicant have any unusual competence, talent or leadership abilities?
- What motivates this person? What excites him/her?
- How does the applicant interact with teachers? With peers? Describe his/her personality and social skills.
- What will you remember most about this person?
- If you have knowledge of MIT, what leads you to believe MIT is a good match for this person? How might he/she fit into the MIT community and grow from the MIT experience?
- Has the applicant ever experienced disappointment or failure? If so, how did he/she react?
- Are there any unusual family or community circumstances of which we should be aware?
Please pay special attention to the opening and closing of your evaluation. Remember, we are reading over 20,000 applications, and we appreciate strong statements that we'll remember as we evaluate each candidate. With that said, please write in a way that makes you feel comfortable and do not shy away from giving us your honest impressions. We are only looking for glowing superlatives if they are backed up with examples and give us context; what is behind a student's achievements. Above all else, make sure to go beyond a student's grades and academic performance. We can get this information from other parts of the application.
Letters of recommendation are confidential in the MIT admissions process.
2.耶魯大學 Yale University
According to the official website of Yale:
Two Teacher Recommendations
High school teachers can provide extremely helpful information in their evaluations. In addition to discussing your performance in their class or classes, teachers may also write about your motivation, intellectual curiosity, energy, relationships with classmates, and impact on the classroom environment. Solicit recommendations from teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects, who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is also preferable, but not required, that letters come from teachers who have taught you during your junior or senior year of high school. Through experience, admissions officers have found that letters from junior or senior year teachers are the most illuminating. Yale does not encourage supplemental letters of recommendation.
3.賓夕法尼亞大學 University of Pennsylvania
According to the official website of Penn:
Penn requires two (2) letters of recommendation from academic teachers, which allows the Office of Admissions to understand a student's presence and impact in the classroom and school community. If an applicant would like to submit another letter of recommendation beyond this requirement, we strongly recommend that it is not from another academic teacher. Examples of an appropriate recommender include an athletic coach, an internship or research supervisor, a boss at a part-time job, or a local clergy member. These additional recommendations are only helpful if the recommender knows the student?personally?and can write?specifically?about him or her. Letters from family members or close family friends traditionally do not provide information that is helpful to the evaluation process. Please have this optional additional letter of recommendation (no more than one) submitted through the Coalition or Common Application.
4.哥倫比亞大學 Columbia University
According to the official website of Columbia:
Two Teacher Recommendations
- These recommendations must come from teachers who taught you in academic disciplines
- For engineering applicants, one must come from a math or science teacher
We welcome an additional letter of recommendation if the writer has worked with you in a researcher or college course capacity. Any supplementary recommendations should not be completed on the Teacher Report forms, but instead submitted directly to our office. The Committee discourages the submission of additional recommendations, as admissions decisions will be based primarily on the required recommendations from your high school teachers and secondary school/guidance counselor.
5.達特茅斯學院 Dartmouth College
According to the official website of Dartmouth:
REQUIRED
- Counselor Evaluation:?The written evaluation from your counselor is included in your Secondary School Report.
- 2 Teacher Evaluations:?We want to know from your junior- or senior-year teachers of academic classes (math, history, etc.) what you are like in the classroom.
STRONGLY ENCOURAGED
- Peer Recommendation
OPTIONAL
- Arts Instructor:?If you are submitting an arts supplement for review, please invite your arts instructor to submit a recommendation letter via?Dartmouth Slideroom.
- Additional Recommendation:?You may submit an additional recommendation letter via the?Common?Application?"Other Recommender" section.
6.斯坦福大學 Stanford University
According to the official website of Stanford:
We recommend selecting grade 11 or 12 teachers in two of the following subject areas:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Foreign language
- History/social studies
You may submit a letter from a teacher who taught you in grade 10 if the coursework was advanced (e.g., Honors, AP, IB). If your school does not offer such designations, use your discretion when asking a teacher from grade 10. We will accept a maximum of two letters of recommendation from teachers.
If English is not the primary language of instruction at your school, review our?guidelines for translating letters of recommendation (http://admission.stanford.edu/apply/international/index.html#non_english)?.
Optional Letter
You may submit?one?optional letter of recommendation if there is another person who knows you well and will provide new insights about you. Ask your recommender to note your full legal name, school name and date of birth at the top of the letter. Your recommender may upload the letter to your application or send by email (credentials@stanford.edu), mail or fax: (650) 723-6050. No form is required.?
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