Getting recommendation letter from an Ivy professor? 4 questions

shawnspencer
Fri, 10 Oct 2014 04:22:51 +0000

Recommendations are for people who actually know you. Will professors you just met off the street at a university know you at all? Doubtful. Your primary focus should be building strong relationships with the teachers and faculty of your own school, recommendations from them will mean much more than a poorly written general one - even if it is from Harvard. Everything else other than a teacher recommendation (which by the way, tells them what type of person you are in the classroom). Work hard, develop passions, and show curiosity. That is what will get you in, not some “connection” through some past admissions officer. As much it seems like it sometimes, college admissions is not something you can “game.” It is rather straightforward actually. Gibby is a parent of a Harvard graduate so he knows what he is talking about. If you have any doubts on what they are looking for, see their website or contact admissions officers directly. It will clear up any confusions. Finally, as a recommendation, I advise branching out and looking at a multitude of colleges. You are only in 9th grade so there is still plenty of time, but there are so many top-notch colleges out there that a little research may lead you to find some pretty cool options