Page 1 of 3 Student Brag Sheet Recommendation letters can have a signifcant impact on getting into a college or earning a scholarship. College admissions offcers and/or members of a scholarship selection committee want more than a mere list of personal traits, activities, or honors. To say that you are responsible, creative, or possess intellectual curiosity is not enough. You must provide examples or anecdotes that support these personal or academic traits. This helps the reader gain insight into your true essence. As an applicant, your task is to help the reader of the recommendation letter distinguish you from other qualifed applicants. However, it can be diffcult fnding teachers or counselors that know you enough inside and outside the classroom to write an effective recommendation letter. In order to help teachers who may not know you very well get a better sense of who you are, you should provide information about yourself on both an academic and a personal level. This brag sheet will help you do so. Directions: The tasks that follow will help your counselor, teacher, or advisor write an effective letter of recommendation for you. You don’t have to answer all questions. However, the more information you provide, the more likely it will be that they will be able to write a good recommendation letter. • Task 1: Describe Yourself ◦ What are the frst words that come to mind to describe yourself? • Task 2: Family Background ◦ Is there anything pertinent about your family (cultural background, shared interests and activities, travel, size, crisis, etc.) that has had a signifcant impact on your personal or academic life? • Task 3: Personal & Academic Traits ◦ How would you rate yourself in these areas? 1 = below average, 2 = average, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = outstanding 1. initiative: 4. creativity: 2. motivation: 5. energy: 3. intellectual curiosity: 6. leadership/infuence: Page 2 of 3 7. integrity: 11. sense of humor: 8. concern for others: 12. reaction to setbacks: 9. responsibile: 13. tolerance for differences: 10. emotional maturity: 14. work ethic: ◦ Which of these two traits do you consider the most important? Why? (*Note: It would be useful to provide examples or anecdotes!) • Task 4: College Choices ◦ Which colleges are you interested in applying to? Why? • Task 5: Intended College Major/Career Goal ◦ What are some of your long-term academic goals? What are you interested in studying? • Task 7: Academic & Personal Strengths ◦ What do you consider some of your greatest strengths? How did you attain them or come to realize them? • Task 8: Academic & Personal Weaknesses ◦ What do you consider some of your greatest weaknesses? How did you come to realize them and what do you do to resolve them? • Task 9: Special Recognition/Honors/Awards ◦ List some of the achievements that are the most important to you. • Task 10: Extra-Curricular Activities ◦ What are some of the activities that you have participated in outside of the classroom? What do you fnd that activity to be meaningful or what interests in you in it? • Task 11: Community Service ◦ What are some of your experiences in serving your community? Which volunteer experiences do you fnd the most meaningful or memorable and why? • Task 12: Leadership Experience ◦ What experiences have you had in a leadership position? What did you learn from them? Page 3 of 3 • Task 13: Overcoming Adversity ◦ Have you ever had to overcome some kind of adversity? How did you do so and what did you learn from the experience? • Task 14: Work Experience ◦ What experience do you have in the working world? What did you learn from it? • Task 15: Test Information ◦ While it may not be of importance to the person writing your recommendation letter, it might be useful to list SAT or ACT scores as well as any IB or AP scores. • Task 16: Senior Classes ◦ What classes are you taking in your senior year? Counselors or teachers may want to know whether you are challenging yourself during your last year of high school. • Task 17: Additional Information ◦ Is there anything else you would like your teacher or counselor to know that is important to you? Do you have any long or short-term goals in particular that you would like to share? • Notes: ◦ Keep in mind that you do not have to answer every single question! Feel free to pick what you fnd the most important and give those questions more thought, perhaps even providing more in-depth answers. ◦ It is best to have your completed brag sheet ready for teachers or counselors once they accept your request for a recommendation letter. Be sure to give them ample time to write the letter! ◦ Provide the teacher or counselor with your e-mail address or phone number, so that they may contact you if needed. ◦ REMEMBER TO REMIND YOUR TEACHER OR COUNSELOR OF WHEN THE SCHOLARSHIP OR COLLEGE APPLICATION IS DUE! Make sure that they know the deadline ahead of time, but remind them when it approaches, in case they may forget. ◦ Lastly, remember to thank your teacher/counselor for taking the time to write you a letter of recommendation!
