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Admission > For Counselors/Teachers > Letters of Reference
Writing Letters of Reference for ALA Applicants
The School Report and Letters of Reference from teachers, counselors, and principals are
critical components of the African Leadership Academy application. Below are some of our thoughts
on how recommenders can be most helpful to our Admissions committee.
Give descriptive, concrete, and quantifiable examples
The more descriptive and clear you can be, the more we will understand your experience with
the applicant and his/her specific qualities.
A
less helpful statement:
This student is very bright and especially in maths. Her results on her exams were
consistently among the best.
A
more helpful statement:
This student began the term behind her peers in maths, because she came from a weaker junior
secondary school. In fact, maths was a subject that she did not enjoy. By the middle of the term, I
saw her spending her lunch break reading her maths text while the other students were playing
football or listening to music. By the end of the term she had mastered trigonometry so will that
her exam results were in the 85-90th percentile nationally, making her one of the top 5 students in
the class.
Include details about the applicant’s background where relevant
Details you can provide about the student’s background, life at home, or obstacles overcome
can be very helpful to our Admissions committee.
Limit quotes from other teachers
Although it can be helpful to talk with other teachers and administrators about the student
before you write your recommendation, please do not quote them in your letter. Instead, we
recommend that you focus on your experiences with the student.
Briefly describe your background
It is helpful for us to understand your background and experience when you are evaluating a
student versus others you have taught. How long have you been teaching? How many years have you
been at your current school? What other schools have you taught at, and how were they similar or
different to this school? Where did you attend high school or university?
Briefly describe your school or organization (or include a separate profile)
It is helpful for us to understand the context of your organization, including:
1. How many students do you serve? What ages and/or years in school?
2. What academic courses are offered?
3. What percentage of students pass the national examinations? What are the average results?
It can also be helpful to provide a brief history of the school or organization
and anything that makes it unique.
Be concise
One page should suffice!
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