USC sent a representative to the high school where I teach. The woman stressed the significance of writing better letters of rec... showing examples of form letters, and a letter from a prep school in L.A. So, now I'm holding myself to a higher standard for writing these utterly rediculous letters. In order to clear my mind, I find it helps to talk about the student the way they truly are... Here's my most recent.
I am writing to recommend Tenaya for acceptance in the freshmen class in the fall of 2009. I am her former English/Language Arts teacher, and over the past year and a half, I have learned a lot about Tenaya’s integrity and commitment to her education. I believe that Tenaya would make an excellent addition to USC—she will excel in her classes, and will consistently contribute to student activities. She hates cheerleaders.
One thing I quickly learned about Tenaya was that she hates cheerleaders on campus. See, frequently, cheerleaders get special treatment—front of the lunch line, pulled out of boring English classes for pep rally preparation, and other perks of the high school female world. In the midst of a class discussion on archetypes and satire, Tenaya blurted out “oh, like how all cheerleaders are fricking idiots, and like to sleep around.” This is the kind of attitude that USC thrives on… the elitist mentality prevalent among its students that keeps USC from entering the realm of educational greatness that all universities strive for. But, along with eliteness, Tenaya demonstrated an aptness for satirical writing, because she has learned two qualities that cheerleaders frequently possess—bitchiness and sluttiness.
I hope my letter has persuaded you that Tenaya should be admitted. She will definitely stand out in USC’s white-bread, northern-european, pretentious educational atmosphere. Yours truly, an English teacher.
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3 comments:
This is pretty good. Man. I just had to ask for so many letters. I should have asked you for one. Dang.
I just wrote my first letter of recommendation for a senior in my journalism class. I have known him for about two months. He comes to class most of the time, has a great attitude,and he seems to respect my authority on the subject. However, instead of writing a pearly testament to his character, I should have said:
"Jesus works harder than most of the students I have. Sometimes he attends class. Sometimes he does not attend class. Jesus likes baseball. He also likes to play musical instruments. Although he is graduating high school with only a 2.5, all those kids from prep schools with 4.0's did not have to raise their siblings on the streets with their mother while they were homeless throughout different times in their adolescence. C'mon, just let him into college. He needs it more.
Mr. Cassidy
English Teacher
This is hilarious.
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