Your College Recommendation
A great college recommendation can really help you get into a great school. The college admissions officer who looks over your application will get a good picture of you, as a student and individual, from your application and essays. That same officer will get a picture, of how other people view you, from the college recommendations that are submitted on your behalf.
Start by thinking about who you will ask for a recommendation. Usually you will be asked to submit anywhere from one to three recommendations. Colleges and universities want to hear about your academic achievements, plus, they want to hear from someone who can speak about your character. As a musical theater kid, those you may ask to help you include; performing arts teachers, music teachers, dance teachers, directors, choreographers, stage managers, and the like. Don't forget about your school teachers, employers, and any other members of the adult community that know you personally and are able to vouch for you.
Choose people you feel know you well enough to identify your strengths, and who will be discreet about revealing anything that may not present you in the best light. You should ask those adults in whose classes or subjects you excel. Be sure to give your chosen recommenders enough advance notice so that they are able to take their time and complete their recommendations well in advance of any deadlines. This means that your should start early in your
performing arts college search.
Once you have asked for a letter of recommendation from several people and they have agreed to do this for you, you will need to proceed in a very organized way. Put together a packet for each recommender. In this packet you should include a cover letter from you, your resume, the forms they need to fill out for each school and a very specific guideline concerning the deadlines as given by each college. You should also include the stamped and addressed envelopes in which to send the recommendations so, that all a person writing your letter has to do when they're finished is to drop it in the mail. Also, it is your responsibility to check with the colleges to make sure your recommendations have been received. About 14 days before the deadline is a good time to do this. At the same time, send a thank you note to each recommender. This will work as a reminder in case they have been pressed for time. Check back with the school a week before the deadline and if they still haven't received all your recommendations, it's time to directly, but politely, contact your recommender(s).
What Is Good To Put Into A Theater Letter Of Recommendation
People writing college recommendations, for kids who are applying to theater programs, sometimes ask if there is anything special they should include in their statement. If they are looking for guidance, there are several things that you can tell them to consider. Theater involves teamwork, it is a collaborative art. Theater schools will be interested in knowing if you are a good team player. They will also be interested in knowing if you are a leader and if there are times that you have gone above and beyond what was asked of you. This can indicate whether you are a self-motivated individual. Of course your acting, singing and dancing skills are also important. Also, don't forget about any awards, honors, and special distinctions that you have received whether or not they were theater related. It's good to include volunteer work that you've done, too. Remember to include volunteer information on your resume that you put into the packet given to those writing your college recommendations.
All in all, if you as the applicant do a good job in organizing for your recommendations, things should go quite smoothly. Of course, you still have those college auditions to perform, but take heart, with effort those acceptances should be rolling in shortly.
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