Where to get your Letter of Recommendation

If you plan to apply for any of the top scholarships, be aware that you'll need to get at least one Letter of Recommendation to accompany your scholarship application. You may even need two.

So where do you get your letter?

Whom do you ask and why?

Here are three things to look at to determine whom you'll ask to get you the type of letter you need:

1. Examine the scholarship application.

What type of scholarship are you applying for? If the scholarship is based entirely on academic merit, then you'll want someone who can provide details about your academic prowess. Choose a teacher in whose class you excelled or achieved some significant academic progress. Did you take an AP class? If you did well, that teacher may be a good choice.

If the scholarship rests on leadership skills or creativity or some other such basis, be sure to find someone who can speak to such skills. The more detailed and explanatory, the better.

If the application calls for a character reference, then you'll want to choose someone who knows your personality well. Probably someone who has known you over several years. Perhaps someone who saw you go through a growth in character development or observed you demonstrating honesty, integrity, determination, or compassion.

2. Keep the information balanced.

In addition to providing details which fill in the information already supplied in your application, you'll want the writer to present a well-balanced perspective of your personality. Although the letter recommending you for an academic scholarship should focus on academics, it should not present a flat, one-dimensional personality that portrays you as a bookworm only. What other parts of you can the writer point out? It's okay to suggest that they write about certain aspects of your personality or your achievements.

3. Quality is your goal.

So what if you know the mayor of your town. If the mayor does not know you well enough to write a personal and descriptive letter about you, then don't ask him for a recommendation letter. It's far better to choose someone who can write in detail about you than simply provide an impressive name in the signature block. You want someone who can be specific about your attributes.

Now that you know whom to ask, be sure to take the extra steps to help your recommender actually write a good letter.

For members: See today's indepth topic: The Recommendation Letter: How to get a good one.

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