Dartmouth is one of my top choices, and I want to make sure my peer recommendation is solid. Anybody have any examples of peer recs that worked well for Dartmouth or pointers on what it should include?
It's important that a peer recommendation for Dartmouth is genuine and provides personal insight into your character, since it's meant to add another layer of depth to your application. While I don't have a specific example to share, I can offer a few pointers on what should be included in a strong peer recommendation.
1. Personal anecdotes/stories: Encourage your friend to share specific stories and experiences that showcase aspects of your personality, values, and character. They should focus on moments that highlight your strengths and interactions with others.
2. Growth and development: Your peer can discuss how you've grown, gained maturity, or developed special skills throughout the time they've known you. They should emphasize personal or intellectual growth that sets you apart from other applicants.
3. Collaboration and teamwork: It's important that your recommender describes how you've demonstrated good teamwork or collaboration skills, whether in group projects, clubs, or in other extracurricular activities. Your ability to work well with others is a valuable quality that admissions officers appreciate.
4. Uniqueness: Your peer should highlight what makes you unique as a friend and as a person. This can include your sense of humor, your passion for a particular subject, or your ability to persevere under challenging circumstances.
5. Impact on others: Ask your friend to mention ways in which you've made a positive impact on them or others around you. It could be anything from inspiring them to pursue a shared interest to showing kindness and empathy towards those in need.
Remind your recommender to be genuine and honest in their letter while focusing on your positive qualities. Avoid exaggeration and clichés, and make sure it doesn't just reiterate points you've already made in your application or other recommendation letters. Also, advise them to proofread the letter to present a polished recommendation.
Your friend should keep the letter to about one page and should clearly present why they think you would be a great addition to Dartmouth College. Remember that the goal of the peer recommendation is to provide a different perspective, so your friend should not feel pressured to use overly formal language or write in a style that's not natural for them.
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