Page 20 - Education Guide
P. 20
How to ask for a letter of recommendation
Choose wisely when dents is to decide who they skills. Speaking face-to-
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017 selecting teachers want to ask for a recom- Schools frequently ask for semesters. It’s better to Be sure to ask for a face shows respect and
to write letters of mendation. Select those recommendations from leave plenty of time than to letter of recom- gives you the advantage to
recommendation. teachers who know you specific people, such as a put teachers under pres- mendation in per- make your points person-
well or can validate how teacher in a certain subject. sure. The same rule applies son. ally, rather than through
Knowledge, skills and you performed or improved to anyone else you’re ask- email.
personality can get students in class. Opt for a teacher Ask early ing to write you a recom- Metro Creative
far, but having the right whose class you recently mendation. Connection Make the process easier
people in their corners can took so the recommenda- Teachers may be inun-
open doors for new oppor- tion reflects the student you dated with college letter Request in person tion by making it a person- Provide all of the neces-
tunities that students might are today and not the stu- recommendation requests al request. Schedule an sary items to help the per-
otherwise never have con- dent you might have been around application dead- Underscore the impor- appointment with the indi- son along. This can include
sidered. Perhaps this is when you were younger. lines and at the end of tance of the recommenda- vidual and discuss why a brief résumé, academic
why recommendations are you believe he or she progress report, required
so coveted when applying It can also help to ask would be the right person forms, and so on. Also
to schools. for a recommendation from to provide the recom- offer any college- or em-
teachers or staff who have mendation. Remind the ployer-directed requests.
Asking for a letter of sufficient experience. Their person of your attributes As the deadline looms,
recommendation is some- input may carry more and point out something offer concise reminders
thing that should be done weight than someone that exemplifies your that you will need the
with forethought. The whose career is less accom- recommendation. Offer to
correct approach and plished. A well-established pick it up personally. Make
proper timing can mean the teacher who leads a class copies or scan and save the
difference between receiv- that pertains to your aca- original just in case a mix-
ing a recommendation or demic goals is a good fit. up in the admissions office
not. occurs.
Remember to consider
Who to ask the requirements of a col- Metro Creative
lege or university as well. Connection
The first step for stu-
How to find the right graduate program
Graduate school al-
lows college gradu- important it is for prospec- dents won’t get from
ates the chance to tive graduate students to brochures or online re-
find the right schools for search, no matter how
intensify their studies as them. exhaustive that research
they pursue advanced might be. Encourage stu-
degrees. Many professions Research
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE MORNING CALL dents and recent grads to
require advanced degrees, Because the cost of be candid, asking them
but students may enroll in graduate school is so sub- about their experiences as
graduate school for various stantial, students should be grad students and, for
reasons, including their extra diligent when re- recent grads, how they
own intellectual curiosity searching potential grad fared in the job market
and the chance to improve schools. Gather as much after earning their degrees.
their earning potential. information about each While many people
Choosing a graduate school as possible, even enroll in graduate pro-
program is an important contacting department grams to improve their
decision that can impact heads and/or professors to earning potential, some
students’ career prospects learn if a given program is students may not enjoy that
and financial futures. Ac- best for you. Graduate benefit. The cost of grad
cording to Peterson’s Real programs tend to be spe- school varies depending on
Guide to Colleges and cialized, so make sure each the school and the pro-
Universities, the average school you’re considering gram, but prospective grad
annual tuition for a gradu- offers exactly what you’re students may want to
ate program at a public seeking. change their plans if the
university is $30,000, cost of obtaining an ad-
while graduate students at Talk to students, graduates vanced degree will greatly
private universities can Current students and affect their financial free-
expect to pay nearly recent graduates can pro- dom for years to come.
20 $40,000 each year. Such vide a unique perspective Metro Creative
figures illustrate just how that prospective grad stu- Connection
