Stellar Recommendation Can Tip Delicate Balance

By JOANNE LEVY-PREWITT

The end of the school year is a good time for reflection. Most people want to know why so many great students are denied admission to their first-choice colleges. It is a question not easily answered.

The obsession about college admission is greatest in communities where most high school graduates attend four-year colleges. It happens every spring.

Why did Johnny get in when Suzy, who has better grades, was denied? Why was the athlete admitted when the scholar was turned away?

How is it possible that wealthy students were admitted with scholarships when families with financial need were left empty- handed?

Is it fair that students of color even with relatively low grades are accepted at a higher rate than high-achieving students in the majority groups?

College admissions deans have a tricky task. They need to please administrators, faculty, alumni, and, to maintain their rankings, they need to impress each other.

They need to fill sports teams, orchestras, dance halls and theaters. They need to admit budding scientists, engineers, doctors and artists.

They try to ensure that each department maintains a critical mass of students from anthropology to zoology and that every student is ready for college-level work.

In short, colleges are trying to craft a vibrant, diverse, functional and well-rounded community. If they are successful, they will continue to attract alumni donations, as well as a steady stream of enthusiastic applicants.

Sometimes, however, high-achieving, high-scoring students are denied admission to even less-than-popular colleges, and it mystifies everyone who knows them.

I have a theory about this: Letters of recommendation matter more than most colleges admit.

In general, colleges say that grades in college prep classes matter more than anything, and that letters of recommendation are not very important.

But I have my doubts. Here’s why: Given two students with identical quantifiable elements, similarly impressive co-curricular activities, and captivating and well-written essays, a strong letter of recommendation can really tip the scale.

After all, a letter that raves about a student’s performance or enthusiasm in the classroom can signal to the college that the applicant will bring energy to the entire campus.

There’s no way to control what a teacher writes, but students should choose their advocates carefully and be sure to forge strong relationships with teachers they respect.

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Joanne Levy-Prewitt is an independent college admissions adviser. E-mail her at jklprewitt@gmail.com.

(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.