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Quantitative Aspect:

GPA

SAT

IELTS

AP scores

Qualitative Aspect: Characters, values, dreams, aspirations, etc.

Main Essay: 3 characters

Recommendation Letters

Supplemental Essays

Sing the same song

Recommendation letters:

3 teachers to write your recommendation letters

1 – Counselor (NOT your VELA counselor) –

 Upload your transcript / GPA to Common App / Coalition / …

 Write recommendation letter about you

 For public schools, you will need to ask another teacher to be your Counselor

2 – Academic teacher (depends on your major + diversification)

3 – Academic teacher (depends on your major + diversification)

4 – Advisor / Coach

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I want you to focus on:

 Three characters

WHAT DO WE NEED IN A RECOMMENDATION LETTER (OR 3):

Length: 1 – 1.5 pages including header and signature if possible

Structure:

 Header: School’s logo & address

 Introductory paragraph:

o What’s your name?

o What subjects are you teaching?

o What school?

o On what occasion do you know the student?

o The general impression about him / her?

 Body paragraph:

o Paragraph commenting on your academic ability: strengths > weaknesses

o Paragraph commenting on your ECA / Project / Research: strengths / weaknesses

o Be very specific on the recommendation

 Ending paragraph:

o Recap of your values / strengths

o Detail of contact

Notes:

 Never address the specific school in the letter

 The recommendation letter will be read by all the schools

 No grammatical error please

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Content of the body paragraph: Be specific / Be personal

 Proactive

 Specific contribution to class discussion / class materials / classmates / class depending on

the subject

 Collaboration with other students in class projects / presentation

 How does the student demonstrate passion for the subjects?

 What kind of challenge has the students overcome to achieve her grades?

 Ability to listen to criticism

 Endurance and overcoming failure.

 Maturity and humor

 Creativity in projects, in class, and in ECA.

 Did the student help the teacher in any way?

 Being honest even in the face of losing grades.

 What make the students different from other members of her / his class?