Brianna Ha
Johns Hopkins University
June 2, 2024
Who did you ask to write your recommendation letters and why did you pick those people?
In total, I asked 2 teachers to write my letters of recommendation for college.
1. My Gifted Enrichment Teacher, Ms. D:
In 5th grade, I joined the District’s Gifted Program, where Ms. D was the spearhead of the program. She truly believed in her students and pushed us to accomplish more by providing us with opportunities that we would have never been exposed to, such as opera shows in the Philadelphia’s Academy of Music to robotic competitions in middle school. By senior year of high school, I knew that asking her would be a no-brainer. We always had conversations about my future education and goals, which heavily fluctuated as I went through the years. There was no one who has seen my growth as a student AND as a person more than her!
2. My 10th Grade English Teacher & Baseball Coach, Mr. R:
During sophomore year, I had a teacher who I just clicked with, thoroughly enjoying the assignments, teaching style, and teacher. My friends and I would stay after school to help grade his other classes from 10th grade and onwards. He was the current baseball coach for our high school and we eventually joined as managers. Mr. R was able to see how I work in different settings, including academic and non-academic settings, and how I interacted with my peers.
Although I applied to colleges as an engineering major, I still requested for him to write one of my letters of recommendation since he had a very positive outlook on me as a student and as a leader/peer throughout high school. He would be able to expand heavily on me as a person, my work ethic, and interests, which were beyond valuable to me despite him teaching a non-STEM subject.
What advice would you give to a student struggling with how to ask for letters of recommendation?
My advice to students would be to communicate early and not be afraid of being specific. You can ask for a letter via email over the summer, especially if you want to apply Early Decision, or in-person at the start of your senior year. Although I did not tell my recommenders about what aspects I wanted to highlight in the letter, since they had followed my growth for years, you can provide details about yourself and your journey (extracurriculars, projects, etc) for a more niche touch that can build on your college application. This can be crucial especially if your teachers do not know you much outside of the classroom!
What resources helped you to navigate this process?
Throughout the process, I relied on others’ experiences, whether it was people I knew or online. The CollegeBoard also had a great short article on an example of what a quality recommendation letter includes!
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Brianna Ha
Brianna, a junior at Johns Hopkins University from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management. She joined Matriculate as an Advising Fellow during her freshman year, progressed to an Advising Fellow Leadership Team Member, and currently serves as a Head Advising Fellow and Student Ambassador. Nowadays, she has fallen down the rabbit hole of video essays and loves to find new adventures with her friends.