Customer Reviews

How to Write Powerful Letters of Recommendation

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was somewhat disappointed because the title of the book was misleading. As an employer looking for ideas to write a letter for an employee, this book was of no help. Also, I doubt the examples provided in this book would be helpful for a college student looking to get into graduate school, for example.

This book is excellent for HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS looking for examples they can tailor for HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. Outside of this small audience, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone.

Recommendations Letters! What a great idea for a book. It has been so extremely helpful to me. As a teacher I have been asked to write so many letters for high school seniors going on to college next year. It is sometimes so difficult to come up with creative words for each individual. This book has come to my rescue. Not only does it have a large selection of recommendation letters , but it also makes letters available to me that fit different personalities , genders, interests, extra curricular activities and academic strengths . I have shared this book not only with other teachers but with guidance counselors who are plagued with these requests. I have had a number of parents interested in ordering "Recommendation Letters" as well so that they can have a clearer idea of what types of letters they can expect for their child. In this way they can make educated suggestions to their child's teacher or counselor when requesting such letters that do have a great impact on the future of their child.

Thank you. Relieved Susanne Trussel Gainesville , Florida

Susan Whalley's book is the most used and sought after volume in my very busy high school guidance counseling office. "Who has the letter book?", is a frequent question in my office during college application season. Each year, a typical counselor at my school writes about 30 - 40 letters recommending students to college. This is a daunting task, considering the fact that we don't know all of our students personally, (alas, if we only could). After a brief meeting when we ask students a few key questions to help us along, it is letter writing time! And the words do not always come. Susan Whalley's book provides counselors and teachers with descriptive words and phrases, thoughts on letter writing, and helpful insights into the nature of writing recommendations. The sample letters are grouped to roughly categorize the type of student, for example the "pluggers", "academic achievers", and the "hardest ones to write". These sample letters serve to jog our minds and get us going. I recommend this book for every high school guidance office and teacher's bookshelf. It is a valuable and helpful tool.

Thanks to "How to Write A Powerful Reccomendation" I was able to compose a series of letters, each unique and creative, for my students which were strong enough to get each and every one of them into their top choices. I look forward to your next book Ms. Whalley.

As someone new to the art of writing letters of recommendation, I found Susan Whalley's book incredibly helpful. Her chapter about difficult-to-write letters was exactly what I needed. Thanks to this book, the agonizing task of writing recommendation letters was made easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

This book is well-written and well-organized. Its format makes it easy to use. Anyone who has to write letters of recommedation on a regular basis, and who has any difficulty coming up with the correct phrases will find it extremely useful. The author obviously has written letters of recommendation for a vast number of students of varying abililty and talents. Her years of experience are apparent. Knowing how important these letters are in students being accepted into colleges, I wish all those writing letters would use this as a guide. I especially enjoy the bits of subtle humor Ms. Whalley uses in naming her students!

Excellent, excellent book. Shipped quickly. Extremely useful. This book stays on the top of my desk with other references. The author does a super job of classifying different types of students and showcasing their talents. Nice job!

I needed help with writing a strong letter character. This book provides ample amount of example to work with. It was easy to take from one letter sample and add to another to produce a strong letter for any occasion.

I bought a copy of this book to keep in my office for those in my school who needed it. I have received rave reviews from all of my teachers, counselors, etc. What some educators don't understand is that a poorly written letter or rec. can actually be harmful to a students chance of being accepted into college. Although the letter is written by another individual it is a direct reflection on the student who you are writing the letter for. Right or wrong, any mistakes in a letter or rec. reflect on the student and not the writer. Therefore, this book or any similar ones out there are a great addition to any office or gift to new teachers/counselors. It's a great resource.

This book has been so helpful to me this year. It provides so many words and expressions that I can get over my mental blocks and write. I don't dread letter writing anymore.

Thanks, Amazon