Preparing for College: Beyond the Getting-In Part

Jean Sunde Peterson

When I was managing a high school gifted education program a few years ago in a city with high aspirations, I wrote many letters of recommendation for students who made applications to various colleges and universities. Sometimes a single student requested a dozen—all of them to prestigious institutions. Often, however, the request was for just one recommendation for a nearby state or private institution. Since most program participants attended our regular discussion groups, which focused on affective concerns (Peterson, 1990), I felt I knew them fairly well. I could write about their character, resilience, leadership, and promise, regardless of whether they were high achievers or, like one-third in the program, academic underachievers. Some underachievers, for instance, had experienced a personal or family trauma and had momentarily lost academic footing. I could attest to that in my letters—and to their later improvement, if it had occurred. Even when their academic performance had not improved, I could speak about personal strengths, while certainly acknowledging their uneven or mediocre grades. When students had continued to achieve in spite of difficulties, I could make note of their discipline and fortitude.

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