I was asked by a teen I used to work with to write her a recommendation letter for UWC, I pieced together that it´s a high school IB program. She stressed that its competitive and this recommendation letter (there are two, one academic letter from a teacher and one from a non-academic field, so mine) is kinda important to be accepted, but that the academic one is probably more important. I´ve never written a recommendation letter before, and don´t understand the format. I was just a volunteer / coordinator supervising this girl at a theatre / art center. I know her well, but I don´t know what to write and I´m scared I´ll flop the application. Here is what I have so far, can you give some feedback? (names are changed)
Dear UWC selection committee,
It is my pleasure to recommend Emma Henry for your program. Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of supervising her work at our non-profit art center, dedicated to youth engagement and fostering a stronger sense of community. During this time, I have observed her development in the field of social theatre with great admiration.
Emma has been a dependable and dedicated member of our theatre and stands out as one of the individuals who has shown the most remarkable growth. When Emma first joined our art center, she took some time to fully adjust to the creative and collaborative nature of the environment. Her sharp analytical thinking and creative approach to problem-solving caught our attention, and I supported her in developing these traits fully. Though she is very academically inclined, she has never allowed that to hinder her contributions to our project or her reliability in fulfilling responsibilities. On the contrary, her structured mindset often brings a thoughtful and thorough perspective to our creative work.
What I find most important to share about Emma is her genuine commitment to growth, not only in herself but in those around her. She is someone who brings quiet leadership and thoughtful insight to every setting she’s part of, and I have no doubt she will bring that same energy and dedication to your program.
(my name and former position)
I also left the organization I talk about here, so I can´t make more formal than just a doc with what I´ve written..
Comments
I think depending on who’s receiving it, you may like to fashion this without saying the academic stuff would be a hindrance (Though she is very academically inclined, she has never allowed that to hinder her contributions). Rather perhaps consider words like she is “able to apply”, “applied”, “put into practice”, industry, etc.
Attest to work ethic, meeting deadlines, self-monitoring/starting, etc. Stuff you’d put in a job description… evaluate against that and put that in.
Also, if you can attest to some sort of a comparison with others you’ve supervised, that’s often good IF the person does stand out and is one of the better people you’ve seen.
p.s. what you have is great!