So I heard that Dartmouth requires a peer recommendation. How important is this part of the application? Any idea about the preferred word count? I'm a little unsure about who to ask and what they should write about. Thanks in advance!
8 months agoDartmouth's peer recommendation is a unique aspect of their application process. While it may not hold as much weight as your main recommendation from a teacher or counselor, it can still provide valuable insight into your character and how you interact with others, which is something colleges like Dartmouth are interested in.
There isn't a specific word count requirement for the peer recommendation, but it's generally a good idea to keep it around 300-500 words. This is long enough to provide meaningful, in-depth detail about your qualities, but not so long that it becomes overwhelming to read.
When choosing a peer to write your recommendation, consider asking someone who knows you well and has seen your growth and development over time. This could be a close friend, a teammate, a classmate from a group project, or even a neighbor who has observed your involvement in community activities. The important thing is that they can provide a different perspective on your character and values that might not come across in your academic references.
As for what they should write about, encourage your peer to share anecdotes or experiences that highlight your positive qualities, such as leadership, initiative, kindness, or collaboration. They should focus on specific examples that showcase how you've made an impact on others or contributed to a shared goal, rather than just listing your accomplishments. Remind your peer to be genuine and honest in their writing – colleges have a lot of experience in identifying authentic recommendations.
In summary, while the peer recommendation is not as crucial as other parts of your application, it can still offer a unique perspective on who you are as a person. I hope this helps clear things up for you!
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