Admissions

Who Will Write My Letters of Recommendation?

When you choose individuals to write your letters of recommendation, pick teachers and mentors who taught you in one of the five core subjects, who know you well, who helped you along the way, or who made your high school career easier.
Julie Shields-Rutyna, Zahaq Garrison
A Student choosing who will write their letters of recommendation

When seeking out letters of recommendation for the college application, most colleges recommend that students ask teachers in one of the five core subjects: English, math, science, history, and foreign language. However a student may make a choice to ask for an additional letter from another supportive adult who knows him or her well. Our previous MEFA intern, Zahaq Garrison, shared below his own story of seeking out a recommendation from a trusted mentor – a high school basketball coach.

In Zahaq's words:

As a junior in high school, I know that now is the time to ask my teachers and mentors for my college letters of recommendation. But deciding who to ask is a tough decision. When you choose a person for a letter of recommendation, it's a good idea to pick a person who knows you well, who helped you along the way in your high school years, and maybe one who made your high school career easier. I will select a teacher who fits this description. But I'm also going to ask for a letter from someone who wasn't in the classroom, but who taught me a lot.

My basketball coach has coached me for three years and has therefore known me well since my high school freshman year. Whether it's on the court or off I learned a lot from him and I feel like he's the perfect match for me. He has watched me grow in lots of ways. I learned from him that being a leader doesn't mean you're the one with the best grades or basketball stats. It means setting a good example for others. And he has encouraged me to do that and watched me grow into a leader over the years. Though he hasn't taught me in the classroom, his letter of recommendation will describe my leadership and other skills he has seen in me. And that will help colleges learn even more about the real me.

 

Learn more about letters of recommendation





College Admissions Letters of Recommendation


Julie Shields-Rutyna
Julie Shields-Rutyna
Director of College Planning and Education
Julie joined MEFA in 2007 and in her role provides expertise related to planning, saving, and paying for college to families, colleges, and other organizations. Prior to joining MEFA, Julie worked for the College Board, Nellie Mae, and American Express, and was the Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Julie has been involved with MASFAA in a variety of positions and committees since 1993. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge.
Julie joined MEFA in 2007 and in her role provides expertise related to planning, saving, and paying for college to families, colleges, and other organizations. Prior to joining MEFA, Julie worked for the College Board, Nellie Mae, and American Express, and was the Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Julie has been involved with MASFAA in a variety of positions and committees since 1993. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge.
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Zahaq Garrison
Zahaq Garrison
Zahaq Garrison attended Christo Rey High School in Boston, where he played basketball. He worked as an intern at MEFA for two years.
Zahaq Garrison attended Christo Rey High School in Boston, where he played basketball. He worked as an intern at MEFA for two years.