How To Turn Your Summer Internship Into An Ivy-Worthy Letter Of Recommendation

Forbes

3 days ago

Summer internships provide students with invaluable opportunities to engage with their fields of interest in tangible, real-world contexts. Whether researching in a lab, working at a law firm, or supporting a local political office, internship experiences can go a long way in demonstrating a student's hands-on experience and depth of knowledge. At the same time, the benefits of an internship can extend beyond a line item on a student's resume, providing one of the most crucial and compelling elements of their application: a strong letter of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation are essential components of the college application, offering a third-party validation of a student's skills, abilities, potential, core qualities, and guiding interests. While some students assume that the quality of their letter solely depends on the recommender, nothing could be further from the truth. Eye-catching letters are the result of a strong relationship between students and their recommenders. Students should strive to stand out in the professional context, stay in touch with their recommender after their internship has concluded, and provide clear direction for the recommendation once the recommender has agreed to write on their behalf.
Internship supervisors or other professional mentors can offer enriching perspectives for a student's candidacy as they can speak to their capabilities outside of the classroom—how they collaborate with others, problem-solve, and respond to criticism, and whether they are teachable and open to growth. At the same time, because many students will not have an organic reason to keep up with their supervisors after their summer internship has ended, it's essential that students approach these relationships with care and foresight if they hope to secure a compelling recommendation once admissions season commences.
Here are three steps students can take to transform their summer internship into a letter of recommendation that will stand out to their dream schools:
Highlighting a student's best qualities in a letter of recommendation requires specificity and detail on the part of the recommender, so it is important that students meticulously document their experiences. Students should first consider the concrete actions they took during their internship. Did they organize data in a new way that helped streamline workflow? Mobilize volunteers? Help draft a grant proposal or translate research findings? Lead a meeting or contribute to a collaboration across departments?
They should then consider the qualitative aspects of their internship experience, including what they learned, how they grew personally and professionally, whether their perspective shifted, and what skills they developed.
Though students likely won't provide recommenders with this documentation in its entirety, preparing it with the experience fresh in mind will enable them to provide relevant information when the time comes. Having a thorough record will also help students craft compelling Activities Lists and personal essays.
If a student eventually intends to ask for a letter of recommendation from their internship supervisor or someone else they connected with during their professional experience, it is crucial that they express gratitude and maintain contact until they reach out to request their letter. As the end of the internship nears, students should write a brief but thoughtful note about their experience working with/for their supervisor or potential recommender, offering a few specific details or anecdotes about how the person uniquely supported them along the way. This letter should also indicate how they plan to utilize those skills and experiences in the future, whether in the coming year of high school or later in their college career and beyond. Finally, the letter should mention that the student may reach out for a recommendation in the future.
In addition to an end-of-the-summer thank you note, students should keep their intended recommender informed about their accomplishments in the months or years following their internship so that they can write a more informed and personalized letter of recommendation when the time comes. This is particularly important for sophomores and juniors who intern long before the admissions process begins—the more intentional students are with their communication, the more material their recommender will have for their letter.
When the time comes to request a letter of recommendation, students should approach the conversation thoughtfully and with clear intention. Whether a student asks over email or during an in-person conversation with the individual, they should first and foremost state why they want this person to write their recommendation—what insights might this person uniquely offer? How have they influenced or shaped the student? What does the student hope they will be able to speak to that others couldn't?
The student should then offer specific information about the programs to which they are applying and the skills, qualities, or experiences they would like the letter to highlight. One of the best ways to do this is through a brag sheet, a document that outlines important elements of their candidacy to help jog recommenders' memories and guide their letter writing. The brag sheet should detail the program(s) to which a student is applying (including important deadlines), achievements and accomplishments they wish to highlight, and other relevant information that they would like the letter to convey to the admissions committee. By taking an active and thoughtful role in the conversation about their recommendations, students can equip their internship supervisor to write a rich and dynamic letter on their behalf.
The most compelling letters of recommendation don't just come from those who have high-profile titles or who work for impressive institutions—they come from people who know a student well and can speak to their potential. Whether the student interned at a biotech lab or a local nonprofit, the depth of relationship with the recommender and their strategic approach to requesting a letter can ensure that the letter of recommendation will contribute something meaningful and distinct to their overall admissions profile.