News from the Counseling Office

Week of September 15, 2014

This week's hot topic: Letters of Recommendation

Many students, seniors in particular, will find that they need a letter of recommendation to support their application to college, for a scholarship, or for a summer program. Below, we offer your student tips for securing quality letters of recommendation:

1. Once you know that you will need a letter of recommendation, fill out the "Letter of Recommendation Request" form found in the counseling office, or on the counseling webpage. It is important that you fill out this form honestly and completely. Once you have completed the form, you can make an appointment with your counselor or teacher to submit it.
2. Give your recommender at least two weeks' notice (more is preferable) when at all possible. While we understand that you sometimes find out about a scholarship opportunity less than two weeks before the deadline, and will do everything we can to help you in those situations, it takes a lot of time for someone to write you a quality letter. Please remember that the individual you asked to write your letter also has a full-time teaching/counseling job and other students whom they are writing letters for as well. Letters written in haste can be detrimental to your application.
3. Provide your recommender with deadlines for each recommendation so that there is no confusion as to when the letter is due.
4. Let your recommender know how the letter will be used. Is it to be a general college admissions letter? Is it for a scholarship? If so, what kind of scholarship? What qualities is the scholarship committee looking for in a strong candidate?
5. On the recommendation form, we suggest that you waive your right to view the recommendation. This gives more credibility to the recommendation in the eyes of the college/scholarship committee.
6. Ask for the letter in person - not by email, not by just dropping off the form, and not by phone. This is especially important now that more applications are online and students have the opportunity to input their recommender's name and email address, and the recommendation form is sent directly via email. Students need to let the recommender know that this email is coming - before the recommender receives it!
7. Provide the necessary information regarding how the letter is to be submitted. Will it be uploaded to a website? If so, please provide the appropriate web address. Will it be mailed in? If so, please provide an addressed, stamped envelope. Will it be returned directly to you? If so, you will need to arrange a time to retrieve it.
8. Whom to ask? Check first to see what the college/scholarship committee is requesting. They will often be specific about who they want to see letters from (For example, one counselor, one academic teacher, and one additional). Ask the people who know you best! The teacher for the class in which you excelled isn't necessarily the best one to write you a letter, if you just sat in the back of the room and didn't add much to the class. It might be better to ask the teacher for whose class you were an active participant, where you helped other students in the class, or where you demonstrated improvement.
9. How many to submit? Again, check first to see how many are required. Follow the wishes of the college/scholarship; do not inundate them with more than they ask for (one extra is sometimes okay, but not two or more).
10. Thank the recommender after the letter is completed (hand written thank you notes are very nice).
11. Follow-up with the recommender and let him/her know the outcome of your application. (Did you get accepted to the college? Did you get the scholarship?)

If you or your student has any further questions regarding your needs for a letter of recommendation, please do not hesitate to visit us in the counseling office.

In addition, please don't forget to mark your calendar for our College Planning Nights this week:

• September 16, 6:30 pm for IB Seniors and Parents in the Lecture Hall
• September 17, 6:00 pm for Seniors and Parents in the Cyber Café

On a related note, the counselors will begin their fall classroom guidance lessons next week. During these lessons we will be meeting with all grade level students through their English classes to work on their ECAP, discuss graduation requirements, review to ensure they are on track for graduation, discuss college entrance requirements, and engage in 4-10 year planning. We will also share the updated version of our Junior/Senior Handbook with the junior and seniors. The handbook can be found on our website at http://www.amphi.com/schools/cdo-high/counseling/handbooks-and-forms.aspx, or if you or your student would prefer a hardcopy, one can be picked up in the counseling office.

Scholarship Spotlight:

CDO can select one senior to nominate for the Baird Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship is valued at $12,500 per year (renewable for an additional three years) at the University of Arizona. Eligible students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA, be a U.S. citizen and Arizona resident, demonstrate evidence of leadership qualities, and be strongly considering enrollment at the U of A for fall 2015. If your student is interested in applying to be CDO's nominee for this award, please have your student pick up a pre-application in the counseling office. Completed pre-applications are due back to the counseling office no later than September 22, 2014.

September

October

Overtime Dance

September 19th  

following the football game

In the MPR 

Cost: $3  

must have their school ID

Ends at 11pm

Parents of seniors

Would you like to design a special page in the 50th anniversary yearbook for your graduate? Would you like to leave them an enduring memory of their years at CDO or a special note to be remembered?  The following link will take you to the Herff Jones site where you may design that note or purchase a yearbook.  

Place your order now as this link will only be active until December 19, 2014.

Yearbook Order Link

Webpages

Amphi Homepage

CDO Homepage

CDO Film

EZ pay for Cafeteria

Counseling 

Palantir Print Edition

Parent Portal

Project Grad

Tax Credit Info

CDO Silent Witness Hot Line

696-5564

Website 

Officer Beauchamp:

Officer Brown

Information

Regular Bell Schedule 

MaxPreps 

Parent Organization 

Amphi Project Grad 

Athletics 

Pom  

Project Grad  

Spirit Line 

Theatre 

 SAT Test Dates @ CDO