Letters of recommendation 101
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About this livestream
A good letter of rec is easy to come by, but a standout letter takes some planning and foresight. Today, Elias will walk you through the steps involved in asking and preparing for a letter of rec to optimize your chances of getting into your dream school(s).
We’ll cover who to ask, how to ask them, and what you can do to ensure your recommendation best reflects how you want to be portrayed. We’ll also touch on how letters are reviewed by admissions committees to give you a better idea of their role in the application process.
Come prepared to take notes and ask questions, as there will be time throughout the session for Elias to interact with you all, as well as a Q&A at the end!
Undergrad College: Harvard University '17
Major: Music
Graduate College: University of Michigan, M.M.
Work Experience: Now in my fourth year at CollegeVine, I have helped dozens of students gain acceptance to their top-choice schools and have also advised and mentored thousands more through my livestreams. Apart from my work at CV, I am also a professional conductor and a multi-instrumentalist. I currently serve as the music director of the Apollo Ensemble of Boston, and I have led symphonic concerts and operatic productions throughout the United States.
My Admissions Story: Initially interested in pursuing a career as a performing cellist, I applied almost exclusively to music schools with dual and double degree options and ultimately enrolled in the Tufts University/New England Conservatory Dual Degree Program. Unhappy with the combined program and worried I'd never feel like I was fully a student at either school, I logged back into CommonApp.org in October of my freshman year. I can't say I went about the transfer process in the smartest way (I only applied to two schools!), but Harvard miraculously accepted me (or 'excepted me' as I wrote in a celebratory Facebook post that day - no one ever let me live that one down), and the rest was history.
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