Letters of Recomendation

Please talk to me in person about writing a letter for you BEFORE you do what is requested below. 

NOTE:  I will only write letters of recommendation for students who WAIVE their right to read the letter.  This is school policy.  Even if I have agreed to write your letter, I reserve the right to refuse to submit at any time if you do not waive.  

When telling me when the letter is due, please tell me the ACTUAL due date, not an earlier date which will make you feel better that it's in by.  Note that colleges give grace periods to teachers for late letters which will not affect your chance of getting in.  Nonetheless, if you see your letter has not been submitted on the due date, please feel free to email me a gentle reminder on the due date itself.  

COLLEGE RECOMMENDATIONS:

STEP 1: 

If you would like a college recommendation, please send me an email to my school email address barbara.fortunato@wwprsd.org with the following information by July 31st:  

1. Your full name

2. Email address that you check

3. Your guidance counselor

I would like for you to write a recommendation for yourself as if you were me (that means to write about yourself in 3rd person). Think about what I know about you and what I would say in a letter about you.  Give specific anecdotes about yourself which I might have observed in the classroom which demonstrate why a college would like to have you as part of their school.  Please do not write about things I could not have observed myself or have not discussed with you in class (e.g. do not write about how you were a leader in your extracurricular activity).   I will write my letter first without looking at yours, and then refer to your letter for things I've forgotten.  Please don't be too humble in your letter - be honest and forthright about your abilities and your strengths. 

Some things to think about as you write your letter:  How were the following qualities demonstrated to me in the classroom?

• Motivation

• Maturity

• Integrity

• Independence

• Originality

• Initiative

• Preparedness

• Leadership

• Ability to learn from mistakes/grow

• Special talents

• Enthusiasm

• Helpfulness

• Engagement/participation

• Interest in the topic

• Willingness to go above-and-beyond

You might also think about the following questions as you're writing your letter, but it is certainly not required that ALL of these be addressed:

1. What words best describe you and WHY?  (What do you most want colleges to know about you?)

2. What was your favorite unit in Physics?  Why?

3. Describe your overall strengths in Physics and in school in general.

4. Describe the single event in Physics that you are most proud of and explain why.

5. What major are you considering for college and why?

6. What distinguishes you from other students this year?  What makes you exceptional?  What do you think makes you stand out compared to all the students I've taught throughout the years?

There is no length requirement, but the more information you give me, the more memories you might jog in my brain.  Three paragraphs is a good guideline.  I will not read your answers to your questions on Naviance, so you don't have to fill those out for me, although you might have to do them for other teachers. 

Again, please email all of the above materials to my school email address barbara.fortunato@wwprsd.org by July 31st.  Please write in the subject of your email your full name and the word "recommendation."  If I do not have your information by this date, I reserve the right to deny your recommendation request.  I will send you a confirmation email that I received your request, so if you don't receive one from me by August 2nd, please try resending. 

Good luck with your recommendation writing, and I hope you're enjoying the summer!

STEP 2:

IMPORTANT:  I will only send recommendation letters if you waive the right to read the letter.  This is school policy.

By September 30th, email me the list of colleges you are applying to and their deadlines.  If you're sending all of your applications through Naviance, you can just email me the above list, and you're done.  I will crosscheck my submissions with the list that you email me, and I will ONLY submit the letter to the colleges on your list. (Remember to be specific with all of your other teachers if you would like them to only submit to certain schools; most teachers submit to all schools by default, and it is impossible for a letter to be unsubmitted.  So if you DON'T want them to submit to a particular school, make sure you notify them.) If you change your list in the future, make sure you email me again with the change.

That’s it!  Best of luck in your admissions process.  Please update me when you get in!