04 November 2013
To whom it may concern,
I would like to enthusiastically support Sara Ritan’s application to Rosemont Valley High School. She is a highly prepared and academically motivated student. These and many other qualities will support her to strive in this private school environment.
I taught Sara in Honors Chemistry at Harriton High School. I often spent time with Sara going over extra chemistry questions or further reviewing content from class. She has a strong desire to excel in her classes and to constantly build on her current knowledge and skills. Sara is comfortable posing clarification and extension questions in class, which has often been to the benefit of her peers because she makes sure that concepts are clear before she further asks critical thinking questions related to a topic. Due to Sara’s focus on questioning information and expanding her learning, she is constantly looking for a new challenge. Consequently, I think that she will excel in a new environment in which her thoughtfulness and academic drive will continue to flourish and will enrich the classes she will be in.
Within collaborative settings, Sara is always a key member of her group. She is an attentive listener and is willing to accept numerous perspectives so that she can adjust and further develop her own ideas. Sara often helps keep her group organized and on task. Since she is very thorough in her learning, Sara uphold a high standard for her group work and the work put forth by her peers. She is resourceful when she is problem solving and is open to trying different techniques and approaches when she looks at a chemistry-related question.
During her lab experiments, Sara attentively reads instructions and is focused on the task at hand. She enjoys applying her problem solving skills during the lab setting because she enjoys trying to make connections between more abstract chemistry concepts and concrete situations in which the concepts can be applied. Sara has also shown a highly reflective quality in her work because she questions experimental results and tries to make sense of the data she obtains using her critical thinking skills. I have been impressed by Sara’s dedication to her work and by the high expectations she uphold for her performance in school.
Sara has also shown many personal strengths and qualities during her various interactions with me and with other students. I have often noticed Sara’s caring qualities when she offers to help her peers. When she enters the classroom, her enthusiasm and optimism are clearly noticeable. She has a wonderful sense of humor and positive energy that seems to spread throughout the classroom.
Overall, Sara academic and personal qualities make her a great candidate for a vibrant school environment and challenging academic setting such as the one at Rosemont Valley High School. She would be an asset to the school community because she is a dedicated and perseverant learner as well as a committed and supportive classmate. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Sara and get to know her better through my Honors Chemistry class. Sara will be missed at Harriton but will definitely leave a positive mark on her new academic setting.
Sincerely,
Diane K. Marpozan
Web 2.0 Log 
Diane – This is a good example of how to write a very positive letter of recommendation. In reading the first couple of paragraphs I wondered if you were describing a student who tries hard but doesn’t always do very well – but I’m not sure having read the rest of it. I know a school will probably have the student’s transcript, but you can also include some mention of a student’s grades and comment on the relationship between those and the strong learning and interactional skills you note in the letter if that seems appropriate. Sometimes the grades don’t map on to the effort and attention – and it might be especially important in those cases to note that. You might also think about including one or two specific examples (a good question she asked, a time when she helped to guide a group to success) to support your thorough descriptions. Lisa