4 лучших примеров рекомендательных писем

Перевод статьи Rebecca Safier на Prepscholar Blog

Насколько важны рекомендательные письма при поступлении в университет? Декан Гарвардского университета по поступлениям и финансовой помощи – William Fitzsimmons утверждает, что рекомендательные письма “экстремально важны” при поступлении.

Если вы ученик, то эти примеры рекомендательных писем помогут вам получить сильные письма от учителей. Если же вы учитель, эти примеры покажут вам, как написать рекомендательное письмо отличного качества для своих учеников.

Продолжайте читать эту статью, если хотите увидеть 4 лучших примера рекомендательных писем, с которыми вас возьмут в любой университет, и, если вы хотите понять почему эти письма являются сильными.

Почему рекомендательные письма так важны?

Здесь всё достаточно просто: большинство университетов США рассматривают вашу заявку со всех сторон, и не фокусируются лишь на результатах ваших тестов и оценок. Таким образом, как эссе, так и рекомендательные письма играют очень важную роль в определении вас, как личность.

Рекомендательные письма, написанные учителями об учениках, которых они очень хорошо знают имеют большой вес и значимость при поступлении в университеты США, особенно если в письме подчёркиваются достижения и сильные стороны ученика.

Давайте рассмотрим 4 рекомендательных письма, написанных учителем английского языка, учителем физики, учителем истории и учителем математики. Также мы рассмотрим, почему эти рекомендательные письма являются очень хорошим примером.

Рекомендательное письмо #1

Dear Admissions Committee,

I had the pleasure of teaching Sara in her 11th grade honors English class at Mark Twain High School. From the first day of class, Sara impressed me with her ability to be articulate about difficult concepts and texts, her sensitivity to the nuances within literature, and her passion for reading, writing, and creative expression- both in and out of the classroom. Sara is a talented literary critic and poet, and she has my highest recommendation as a student and writer. 

Sara is talented at considering the subleties within literature and the purpose behind authors' works. She produced an extraordinary year-long thesis paper on creative identity development, in which she compared works from three different time periods and synthesized cultural and historical perspectives to inform her analysis. When called upon to give her thesis defense in front of her peers, Sara spoke clearly and eloquently about her conclusions and responded to questions in a thoughtful way. Outside of the classroom, Sara is dedicated to her literary pursuits, especially to poetry. She publishes her poetry in our school's literary magazine, as well as in online magazines. She is an insightful, sensitive, and deeply self-aware individual driven to explore art, writing, and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Throughout the year Sara was an active participant in our discussions, and she always supported her peers. Her caring nature and personality allow her to work well with others in a team setting, as she always respects others' opinions even when they differ from her own. When we held a class debate about gun laws, Sara opted to speak for the side opposite her own views. She explained her choice as motivated by a desire to put herself in other people's shoes, view the issues from a new perspective, and gain a clearer sense of the issue from all angles. Throughout the year, Sara demonstrated this openness to and empathy for the opinions, feelings, and perspectives of others, along with shrewd powers of observation, all qualities that makes her outstanding as a student of literature and burgeoning writer.

I am certain that Sara is going to continue to do great and creative things in her future. I highly recommend her for admission to your undergraduate program. She is talented, caring, intuitive, dedicated, and focused in her pursuits. Sara consistently seeks out constructive feedback so she can improve her writing skills, which is a rare and impressive quality in a high school student. Sara is truly a stand-out individual who will impress everyone she meets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Ms. Scribe 

English Teacher

Mark Twain High School

Анализ письма

Мисс Скрайб очень высокого мнения о навыках письма и литературного анализа, которые демонстрирует Сара. Для того, чтобы выразить своё мнения она использует мощную и специальную лексику. Она не пишет, что Сара просто хороший писатель. Она говорит, что Сара умеет выражать свою мысль о сложных концепциях и вопросах, связанные с литературой. Также она называет её проницательной и наблюдательной.

Учитель также использует различные примеры для того, чтобы показать качества Сары. Она приводит в пример её участие в дебатах, что говорит о умении Сары принимать чужую точку зрения. Кроме того, она упоминает о целях Сары на будущее, то есть о том, что Сара будет продолжать развивать свои навыки письма и в будущем станет писателем.

Объем письма показал, что мисс Скрайб потратила немало времени на его написание. Сара же получила очень ценное письмо от своего учителя, так как отлично проявила себя во время учебного процесса.

Рекомендательное письмо #2

Dear Admissions Committee,

It is a great pleasure to recommend Stacy for admission to your engineering program. She is one of the most exceptional students I have encountered in my 15 years of teaching. I taught Stacy in my 11th grade honors physics class and advised her in Robotics Club. I am not surprised to find out she is now ranked at the top of an extraordinarily capable class of seniors. She has a keen interest in and talent for physics, math, and scientific inquiry. Her advanced skills and passion for the subject make her an ideal fit for your rigorous engineering program.

Stacy is a perceptive, sharp, quick individual with a high aptitude for math and science. She is driven to understand how things work, whether they be the old computer hard drives in the school library or the forces that hold our universe together. Her final project in class was especially impressive, an investigation of frequency-dependent sound absorption, an idea that she said was sparked by not wanting to bother her parents with her hours of guitar practice at home. She's been a strong leader in Robotics Club, eager to share her knowledge with others and learn new skills. I have the students in the club prepare lessons and take turns leading our after-school meetings. When it was Stacy's turn, she showed up prepared with a fascinating lecture on lunar nautics and fun activities that got everyone moving and talking. She was our only student teacher to be met with much deserved applause at the end of her lesson.

Stacy's personal strengths are as impressive as her intellectual accomplishments. She's an active, outgoing presence in class with a great sense of humor. Stacy's the perfect person to get a group project rolling, but she also knows how to sit back and let others take the lead. Her cheerful nature and openness to feedback means she's always learning and growing as a learner, an impressive strength that will continue to serve her well in college and beyond. Stacy is just the kind of driven, engaging, and curious student that helped make our classroom a lively environment and safe place to take intellectual risks.

Stacy has my highest recommendation for admission to your engineering program. She has demonstrated excellence in all that she puts her mind to, whether it's designing an experiment, collaborating with others, or teaching herself to play classical and electrical guitar. Stacy's endless curiosity, combined with her willingness to take risks, leads me to believe there will be no limit to her growth and achievements in college and beyond. Please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ms. Randall

Physics Teacher

Marie Curie High School

Анализ письма

В самом начале, в глаза бросается фраза, где мисс Рэндалл пишет о том, что Стэйси – самая необычная ученица, которая была у неё за 15 лет преподавания. Таким образом, учитель подчёркивает уникальность своей ученицы.

Как и в прошлом письме, учитель использует много примеров для того, чтобы показать сильные академические и личные качества Стэйси. Она упоминает её участие в клубе робототехники, её лидерство в проектах и пишет о её любви к музыке.

Очень запоминается тот момент письма, где учитель связал любовь к музыке с проектом по физике у Стэйси, тем самым создав хорошую комбинацию.

Таким образом, мисс Рэндалл написала отличное рекомендательное письмо, которое поможет поступить Стэйси на инженерскую специальность.

Рекомендательное письмо #3

Dear Admissions Committee,

It is hard to overstate the meaningful contributions that William has made to our school and surrounding community. As both his 10th and 11th grade History teacher, I've had the pleasure of seeing William make profound contributions both in and out of the classroom. His school and community service is motivated by a strong sense of social justice, which he informs through a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of historical trends and events. I can say with confidence that William is one of the most caring and driven students I've ever taught in my fifteen years at the school.

As a child of immigrant parents, William is especially drawn to understand the immigrant experience. He produced an extraordinary semester-long research paper on the treatment of Japanese-Americans in the U.S. during WWII, in which he went beyond all expectations to conduct Skype interviews with relatives of his featured subjects to incorporate into his paper. William has a great capacity to draw connections between past and present and to ground his understanding of current issues in the context of historical events. He never retreats to a simple answer or explanation, but is comfortable dealing with ambiguity. William's fascination with U.S. and World History and skill for deep analysis have him an exemplary scholar, as a well as a motivated activist driven to promote civil rights and work towards social equity. 

In sophomore year, William noticed that the college planning seminars students attended included little information for first generation or immigrant students. Always thinking about how institutions can better serve people, William spoke with counselors and ESL teachers about his ideas to better support all students. He helped collect resources and design a college planning curriculum for immigrant and undocumented students to enhance their college access. He further helped organize a group that connected ESL students with native English speakers, stating his mission to be helping ELLs improve their English and increasing multicultural awareness and social cohesion at the school as a whole. William identified a need and worked with students and faculty alike to meet it in an extremely effective and beneficial way. Ever the history scholar, he did plenty of research to back up his ideas.

William believes passionately in social progress and working for the common good. His own personal experiences, along with his profound grasp on social history, drive his advocacy work. He is a talented, intelligent student with the charisma, confidence, strong values, and respect for others to make a huge difference in the world around him. I'm looking forward to seeing all the good that William continues to do for his fellow humanity in college and beyond, as well as the excellent work that he will produce at the college level. William has my highest recommendation. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Mr. Jackson

History Teacher

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School

Анализ письма

Как и Мисс Рэндалл, мистер Джексон в своем письме сразу даёт отличную рекомендацию, так как описывает Вильяма, как самого целеустремлённого ученика за свои 15 лет преподавания. Он говорит о нём не только, как о студенте, но, как и о личности в целом.

Кроме того, мистер Джексон пишет о любви Вильяма к истории и о его вкладе в общество. По его описаниям, Вильям вносит большой вклад в социальную жизнь и проявляет заботу к окружающим.

Он описывает его личную жизнь: его волонтерскую работу и персональные проекты, несмотря на то, что Вильям и сами его родители иммигранты, что показывает его мотивацию.

Также, в этом письме описываются всяческие достижения Вильяма, как например его исследовательская работа в социальной сфере.

Рекомендательное письмо #4

Dear Admissions Committee,

It is my pleasure to recommend Joe, who I taught in my 11th grade math class. Joe demonstrated tremendous effort and growth throughout the year and brought a great energy to class. He has that combination of a positive attitude and the belief that he can always improve that's rare in a high school student, but so essential to the learning process. I am confident that he will continue to display the same commitment and diligence in everything he does. I highly recommend Joe for admission to your school.

Joe would not describe himself as a math person. He's told me on several occasions that all the numbers and variables make his mind go fuzzy. Joe did, in fact, struggle to comprehend the material at the beginning of the year, but his response to this is what really struck me. Where so many others have given up, Joe took on this class as a welcome challenge. He stayed after school for extra help, got extra tutoring at the nearby college, and asked questions in and out of class. Due to all his hard work, Joe not only raised his grades, but he also inspired some of his classmates to stay after for extra help, as well. Joe truly demonstrated a growth mindset, and he inspired his peers to adopt that valuable perspective, too. Joe helped contribute to our classroom environment as one where all students can feel supported and able to ask questions. 

Joe's strong belief in his ability to acquire new skills and improve through practice was likely shaped by his years as a baseball player. He's played all through high school and is one of the team's most valuable players. In his final for our class, Joe designed an impressive project calculating and analyzing batting averages. While he initially described himself as not a math person, Joe reaped the benefits of his tremendous effort and found a way to make the subject come alive for him in a way that he was personally invested in. As a teacher, it is incredibly fulfilling to witness a student make this kind of academic and personal progress. 

Joe is a trustworthy, reliable, good-humored student and friend who supports others in and out of the classroom. He was a pleasure to have in class, and his positive attitude and belief in himself, even in the face of difficulty, is an immensely admirable asset. I'm confident that he will continue to demonstrate the same diligence, perseverance, and optimism that he showed myself and his peers. I highly recommend Joe for admission to your undergraduate program. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Mr. Wiles

Math Teacher

Euclid High School

Анализ письма

Рекомендательное письмо мистера Уайлса очень схоже с предыдущими тремя письмами. Поскольку Джо имеет лучшие оценки по математике, он попросил написать рекомендательное письмо именно у учителя этого предмета. Мистеру Уайлсу очень нравится усилия и старания Джо.

Учитель делает большой акцент на персональные, личные качества Джо, а также на его перспективы в будущем. К примеру, по его мнению, Джо уверен в своих силах, не боится задавать вопросов и постоянно учит для себя что-то новое.

Как и 3 другие письма, это письмо является отличной поддержкой при поступлении в университет для Джо.

Как написать мощное рекомендательное письмо

Хоть эти 4 письма и разные, всё же они несут одну идею и имеют одну формулу успешного написания.

Во-первых, все они читаются с восторгом и энтузиазмом, так как учителя, написавшие их, полностью вдохновились своими учениками и решили помочь им с поступлением в университет.

Во-вторых, во всех письмах приводятся конкретные примеры для того, чтобы показать учеников с хорошей стороны. Эти примеры должны быть связаны со страстью и увлечениями ученика, а также должны показывать качества ученика.

Ну и конечно, академические успехи и сильные стороны ученика также должны присутствовать в рекомендательном письме, чтобы admissions officers могли быть уверены в будущей учебе ученика.

Надеюсь вам понравилась наша статья! Подписывайтесь на наш канал в Telegram @ivyleague_edu и следите за новостями!

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