Congratulations to those of you who found your college path early, were motivated to seek Early Admission and have already heard of your acceptance. You can now sit back and encourage your friends through their application…and waiting process. As daunting as the application process can be, I think waiting for the responses is even more difficult.

I’m sure that those of you who are college-bound seniors are well into the process and probably have completed most of the applications you are planning to submit. For those of you who are still procrastinating, now is the time to get organized and get the job done!

Over the years I have found that one of the most overlooked parts of the application and perhaps one of the most important is the Letter of Recommendation. For those colleges that request letters, and therefore will read them, those letters could be the difference of an acceptance or a denial. Often students are so focused with getting the procedural parts of the application completed that they forget to contact the individuals from whom they want to request letters. This isn’t a time to just pull names out of hat.

Selecting those individuals that you want to write letters of recommendation for you should be a thoughtful procedure. Since every school is looking for students who fit their student profile and makeup, each school will have their own criteria for letters of recommendation. This is their way to get a better look at you. Like your essay or Personal Statement the Letter of Recommendation is a more personal view of who you are. How you stand out among others who have applied. Look at the requirements carefully and select those teachers, counselors, coaches, business leaders, religious advisers who really know you and can highlight something about you that is unique to you. If you are sending letters to more than one school you might want to select different people for different schools.

Writing a letter of recommendation is not an easy task. It takes thought and some research. You can help by giving those you’re asking for recommendations some tools to help them. First, you should contact them directly, either by e-mail or phone to ask if they would be willing to write a letter for you. Be sure to give them the deadline by which the letter must be received by the college or university and offer to send them a pre-addressed envelope. Ask them if they know anything about the school and be prepared to tell them about it and why you have chosen to apply. Offer the website address and ask if they would like to see your copy of the View Book. Tell them you will send them in writing all the information they will need. Once you get their agreement double check the requirements, put together all the information you promised to send and do it immediately! There is a wonderful quote I used to have hanging outside my office that is very applicable here, “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!”