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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 585 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 29th, 2008 12:03 am |
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In the mail today I received a request for a parent recommendation letter from Smith College. This is unusual. The letter was very nicely written. My daughter really, really likes Smith. I don't want to mess up any chances she has getting in there by writing a bad rec. letter. I suppose all I can do is tell them the truth and why I think she is a neat person aside from her numbers?
Has anyone else had a request from a college like this?
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openmind
Member
| Joined: | Mon May 8th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 107 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 29th, 2008 12:37 am |
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Duke had an optional parent recommendation as part of its application. H and I found this a very bizarre thing to request, but of course we did it.
Washington and Lee didn't ask parents to write a rec. but we were invited to the last 20 minutes of the interview. I wish we had been warned of that before. My D was dressed in a suit but I had deliberately dressed to fade into the woodwork. She was admitted anyway!
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lfm
Member
| Joined: | Sat Jul 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 114 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 29th, 2008 12:43 am |
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Since we homeschool, the counselor letter was written by us. I think the sort of points to work in are your childs strengths and the environment that they grew up in. Also, so you do not sound like bragging parents, be sure to throw in some minor fault 
I think it is a great way for the schools to find out a bit more about how the child grew up. Where the parents active and supportive? Did the child have an enriched enviroments? any obstacles to overcome? Have your child read it - and make sure it doesnt go against anything they said.
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CarolynLawrence
Administrator
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 3309 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 29th, 2008 01:49 am |
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Beloit also asks for an optional parent recommendation. After my daughter got in, I asked someone I know in admissions what the purpose was and he said that they like getting to see another side of the applicant, from someone who knows them and their life well, etc. He said the best ones explain why the school is a good fit, and also indicate what they hope their child will get out of college.
That is pretty much how both of mine for my kids were: I talked about the rural area where they've grown up and how that influenced who they are, the two+ hour a day commute they both decided to make to get to a better high school than our local public, a few of their interests/hobbies that their guidance counselor and teachers wouldn't know anything about, and some minor weaknesses that I felt Beloit would help them improve upon. I also mentioned why they'd decided to apply to Beloit, and why I thought it would be a good fit for them.
Both letters were about a page long. Short and sweet, but not overly in the "my kid is a genius" category. Must of worked. Both got in.
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