My key advice to any teacher asked to write a reference letter is to imagine that you are having a conversation with a colleague who is going to teach this student next year: what are the key, positive things that they should know. For example: The student missed a lot of classes due to an injury and is predicted a B in Maths, but their Maths teacher thinks that they would normally. Include examples or anecdotes of positive moments from the student’s time in the class, to illustrate wider points Ĭomment on any notable achievements of the student that relate to this subject. Talk about the student’s impact on you as a teacher: how they interact with peers, their work ethic, time management etc.

The reference should:īe more personal, less about academia and more about the student in your class ĭemonstrate how the teacher knows the student A US-style teacher reference should be different, and needs to focus on what it is like to teach the student, day-in, day-out. These can sometimes baffle UK teachers, as they are used to focusing on short, academically-focused subject references, which are then built into a UCAS reference. Students will likely have to provide three references: one will be an overview reference (known as the ‘counselor reference’), while two will be from teachers. act uk students can obtain a copy of the ucas reference if they. If your school, or your teachers, are new to US applications, they can sometimes try to submit a UCAS-style reference which is not typically what US universities want to see. and, for example, what makes them an a or a grade student is really helpful to tutors. There are clearly some paperwork submission requirements, but one of the crucial elements of this process is what the school writes about you.

For many students attending schools in the UK with aspirations to apply to the United States, an often overlooked part of the process is making sure that your school know what to do. A professional colleague can provide your reference, for example: An employer who knows you well (e.g.

Ucas teacher reference example