在每年春夏时节，美国高中和国际学校的很多学生告诉上新公司，校方已经提醒他们要找任课老师撰写推荐信。

在申请美国大学的时候，申请者需要指导顾问（或者班主任）、文科老师和理科老师的推荐信。鉴于中美高校录取制度差异，国内高中老师往往并不熟悉这种文体。与此同时，美国高中或者国际学校的老师常常要求学生提供一些信息素材，在写推荐信的时候作为参考。

时不我待，今天就为大家推送麻省理工的官方版推荐信写作指南，权威解读高中老师如何给“出国党”写一封好的推荐信。

麻省理工的官方版推荐信写作指南

因为申请我们学校竞争非常激烈，所以推荐信在我们的录取决定中占有很重的分量。给优秀的申请者写好推荐信，比他的自我表扬将更能突出他令人印象深刻的特点。我们要找的学生是那些已经产生影响或者将会产生影响的人，而一封支持性的推荐信和一封吹捧性的推荐信有着截然不同的效果。

无论是班主任的推荐信，还是文理科任课老师的推荐信，如果具体有料，都将发挥重要作用。他们提供的信息和印象，应该是我们从其他申请资料中无法获取的。推荐人应该尝试全面描写被推荐的学生，叙述他取得成就的语境，并且尽可能地用事实和案例来支持结论。如果用小故事来传递个体性格和品德，显然比单单说“玛丽是个成熟的姑娘”会更加形象生动。

在推荐信写作中需要关注以下问题：

1.推荐人与被推荐人是在什么语境内建立相互关系？如果推荐人对于被推荐人并不是很了解，只能写篇简介，那么需要对此加以说明。

2.被推荐人是否展示过学术探索精神，追求超出常规课堂教育的经历？

3.被推荐人是否有不同寻常的能力、才华或者领导力？

4.什么是被推荐人的动力？什么是他的兴奋点？

5.被推荐人跟老师们如何互动？跟同龄人如何互动？描述他的性格和社交技能。

6.关于被推荐人，推荐人记忆最多的是什么？

7.推荐人如果知道麻省理工，那么什么令他相信麻省理工很适合被推荐人？而被推荐人会如何融入麻省理工的校园文化，并在这里的经历会助他成长起来？

8.被推荐人是否经历过失败或者沮丧？如果有，那么他是如何应对的？

9.是否有什么不同寻常的家庭情况或者社区情况，需要告知我们的呢？

请注意推荐信的开头和结尾。切记我们需要阅读数万名申请者的申请资料。如果文书有力，我们就会记住申请者。这就是说，推荐人可以按照自己喜欢的方式写推荐信，也不必担心为我们提供真实的印象。我们只看有案例支持的赞誉，并且还要给出语境，以及学生成功背后的东西。另外，一定不要局限于学生的分数和学术表现，因为我们从其它申请材料中可以获取这些方面的信息。推荐信在麻省理工的录取程序中是保密的。

推荐信样本点评

Teacher Recommendation for David:

大卫的任课教师推荐信

It is a great pleasure for me to recommend David for admission to MIT. He is one of the most extraordinary students I have encountered in 20 years of teaching. I taught David A.P. Calculus last year as a tenth grader, and he was one of the very top students in an extremely able group of mostly seniors. He has a high aptitude for math and was very much involved in his work, applying himself with persistence and dedication and often going beyond the regular class assignments.

我很高兴推荐大卫去上麻省理工。他是我任教二十年里遇到的杰出学生之一。我去年在大卫十年级教他AP微积分课程。他在这个基本上由高年级学生组成的超能小组中名列前茅。大卫数学天赋很高，学习刻苦，专心致志，持之以恒，经常进行超出常规课业以外的学习。

David's abiding interest, however, is computer science. He has developed a series of "strands" for use in providing computerized drill and review in the basic skills and techniques of algebra and arithmetic and has recently adapted these to other subjects. David's work in this area has been so original and significant that he has published a paper on it and delivered several lectures to professionals in other parts of the country. This is a phenomenal accomplishment for anyone, especially a young man in rural Arkansas. It is also worth noting that both last year and this year David taught computer programming to a tenth grade class of mine for two weeks. He took over completely, preparing lectures, assignments, and tests with great care and thought. His lectures were clear and well organized, and it was obvious that he had expended a great deal of effort to make the course the success that it was.

但大卫对于计算机科学的兴趣从来没有改变。他已经开发出一系列 “链”，用于代数和算术基本技巧的计算机化训练与复习，而且近期将这些“链”经过改编用于更多的课程。大卫在这个领域所做的工作具有重要创新意义，他为此发表论文，并在全国各地给专业人士做过几场讲座。这对于任何人来说都是现象级的成就，尤其是一位来自阿肯色州农村的小伙子。另外值得一提的是，大卫在过去两年里还给我带的十年级班上过两周的计算机编程课。他是完全主导，从备课到作业和测试，都经过用心和思考。他授课清晰，组织有序，显然付出很多努力才让这门课获得如此成功。

David's personal qualities are as impressive as his intellectual accomplishments. An extremely kind, sensitive and sensible boy, he has had a difficult family situation for a few years now. He provides emotional support to his mother through her battle with cancer without allowing the situation to undermine his own stability and accomplishments. He has exhausted all that we have to offer him in this small community, and the maturity that he has demonstrated leads me to believe him capable of entering college a year early, as he now plans to do. I sincerely hope that you will be able to offer him a place in MIT's freshman class.

就像他在智识方面的成就一样，大卫的个人品质也令我印象深刻。大卫是一名非常友善、体贴和理性的男孩。他家里几年以来都很困难。他一边为跟癌症搏斗的妈妈提供情感支持，一边不让家庭情况干扰自己的稳定和成绩。他充分利用我们这个小社区所能提供的全部资源，而他展现的成熟让我相信他能如计划的那样提前一年就上大学。我真诚地希望你们能在麻省理工新生班里为他提供一席之地。

招生官员点评：精彩！这封推荐信中的评语充分体现老师对这个学生非常熟悉。我们不仅清楚地感知大卫在智识上的能力，还有他在感情上的成熟。他对计算机编程的真爱也尽显于老师的描述中。我们认识到大卫在自己的环境里一直都在探索学术的边界，也一直为自己创造机会，这对于提前一年申请大学的候选人来说无疑是重要的品质。

Teacher Recommendation for Jen:

珍的任课教师推荐信

Jen was a student in one of my predominately senior physics classes. She took physics her junior year in high school and was a good student. Through hard work, she was able to develop a good understanding of the subject material.

珍是我物理课的学生。这门课大多数都是高年级学生，珍却在高中低年级就选物理了，而且成为好学生。珍通过刻苦学习，系统地掌握了课程内容。

Jen also had personal qualities that are commendable. In the two years that I have known her I have never known her to be dishonest or untrustworthy. Once on an exam paper I had made a grading error in her favor. She brought this to my attention even though it resulted in a lower test grade.

另外，珍还有令人称道的个人品质。两年以来，我对她很了解，我知道她从来都是诚实靠谱。我有次批卷子失误多给了她几分，她就提醒我注意，即使这种做法导致她的分数降低了。

In conclusion, I feel that Jen has both the academic and personal qualities to be a credit to the college of her choice, and I give her my recommendation without reservation.

总之，我觉得珍的学术品质和个人品质都会给她的梦校加分。我愿意毫不保留地推荐这个女孩。

招生官员点评：我们每年都会接到几千封诸如此类的推荐信。这类推荐信很正面，但是却没有任何深度。在上面的案例中，读者感到作者似乎要说什么。诚实靠谱当然是美德，但在名校申请者中却未必罕见。我们录取某个学生需要有说服力的理由，所以关于课上的东西对于申请者的支持力度也不够。尽管珍学习刻苦，但大多数申请者也都学习刻苦。虽然都是正面评语，但很难捕捉任何有形的东西让这位申请者的案例变得强大。难道这种模棱两可的表扬是有意而为吗？珍跟本校其他（优秀）学生相比是什么情形？

Teacher recommendation for Brian:

布莱恩的任课老师推荐信

Brian was in the top five in my class consistently. He is certainly motivated to study. His character and personality are admirable. Brian is an excellent student, hard worker and has above average reasoning ability.

布莱恩在我们班上长期名列前五。他学习充满动力。他有令人钦佩的性格特点。布莱恩是一名优秀的学生，学习刻苦，推理能力出众。

招生官员点评：在这篇推荐信样本中，我们真搞不懂作者想要说什么。提供的评语肯定没有给出多少扎实的信息。我们只能猜想，究竟是关于这名学生本来就没有多少话可说，还是老师压根不愿意花精力去推荐他。基于全部推荐的模式，我们可能会因此形成这种印象。如果这个学生的推荐信全部都是没有多少信息，我们将推测老师对学生无话可说；但如果这个学生其他老师的推荐信要好一些，我们将推测这个老师没有好好去写。

Guidance Counselor Recommendation for Mary:

玛丽的指导顾问推荐信

Mary has contributed to the school community in a variety of ways, most notably through her participation on the newspaper and yearbook staffs. Frankly, I am impressed with her aggressiveness, creativity, determination and ability to schedule extracurricular activities around a full academic workload. I have never heard Mary complain about her workload or refuse any assignment that she has been given. It is not adequate to say that she accepts responsibility readily. She seeks responsibility. Oh, for more such students!

玛丽以各种方式给学校做出贡献，尤其是她参与到学校报纸和年鉴的工作中。坦率地说，她的进取心、创造力、决心，以及在课业累累的情况下安排各种课外活动的能力，都给我留下深刻的印象。我从来没有听玛丽抱怨负担太重或者是拒绝接受任务。说她敢于担负责任稍显不够。她主动寻求承担更多责任。啊，让这样的学生再多一些吧！

As business manager for the paper and co-editor of the yearbook the past two years, Mary has done an outstanding job. She personally brought the town's business community from the view that the school newspaper was a charitable organization to the realization that the paper is a direct pipeline through which advertisers can reach students. She also took the initiative to set up the advertising rate schedule for the paper that produced enough revenue to expand coverage from a four-page paper, so that it is an eight-page and often twelve-page paper. Her work as photographer for both publications has been equally outstanding.

在过去两年里，作为校报的商务经理和年鉴的联合编辑，玛丽工作非常优秀。本城商界以前把校报视为慈善组织，而玛丽则让他们意识到校报也是广告商可以接触学生的直接通道。另外，她主动为校报创建广告收费计划，从而产生足够营收把四个版面扩充到八个版面，甚至常常达到12个版面。作为这两种出版物的摄影师，她做出了同样杰出的工作。

Her motivation is not forced upon her, nor does she wear it like a badge. She has tremendous self-discipline. Mary is also a dedicated, versatile and talented student who will be an asset to your undergraduate community. She has my respect and my highest recommendation.

从积极性上说，玛丽既不勉强自己，也不炫耀自己。她非常自律、专注、灵活、有才。这个学生将成为贵校本科社区的宝贵财富。我非常尊重玛丽，也愿意全力推荐她。

招生官员点评：很好。我们从很多细节中获得清晰印象，而且知道这种印象从何而来。她在校报的重要作用和她本人的整体特点，我们都掌握了充足的证据。

Guidance Counselor Recommendation for Jane:

珍的指导顾问推荐信

Jane is an outstanding young woman whose academic record may not fully reflect her ability. Her parents were divorced during her junior year, and, for several years before that, her home situation had been in turmoil with a great deal of fighting between her parents. Her father has an alcohol problem, and Jane certainly endured a great deal of emotional distress. The fact that she has been able to do as well as she has done given the circumstances says a lot about her. Now that the home situation has stabilized, her performance has improved. I believe her senior year grades are a much better reflection of her ability.

珍是一位很优秀的女孩。但她的学习成绩或许无法全面反映她的能力。她高二的时候父母离异，而在此之前几年，父母争斗不休，家里乱成一团。她爸爸有酗酒问题，珍肯定饱受情感苦恼。事实上，鉴于这样的环境，她能做得这么好，已经说明她的很多特点。现在，随着家庭稳定，珍的表现也进步了。我相信她在高三的成绩会更好地反映她的能力。

招生官员点评：你可能猜想上述信息出现在推荐信中是否合适。合适！我们欣赏有助于洞察学生表现和语境的任何信息。评价学生经历过的问题，将帮助我们理解他们是在什么语境内取得成就，以及他们面对这些问题的深度。

Guidance Counselor Recommendation for Mike:

迈克的指导顾问推荐信

I do not really know Mike very well. He has come to me for routine matters but generally has not had any problems that he has discussed with me. In this large school, I do not always have the time to personally get to know each of my advisees. From the comments I get from Mike's teachers, I have the impression that he is one of the strongest students this school has seen.

我不太了解迈克。他因日常事务找我，但常常也没有什么可以进一步讨论的问题。我们学校很大，我没有时间亲自熟识每个受我指导的学生。从迈克任课老师的评语来看，在我的印象里，他是我在这所学校里见到的最强学生。

招生官员点评：我们从这份报告里没有获取多少信息。但是我们知道为什么。指导顾问老师很诚实，所以我们不会瞎想为什么没有更多的信息，而是会转而关注其它申请材料。

以上是麻省理工的官方版推荐信写作指南，仅适用于优秀学生和普通学生。如果申请者是不世出的超级天才，那么可以参考下面这封史上最短的推荐信。

1948年，约翰•纳什申请普林斯顿研究生课程，他的老师为他写的推荐信：

“他是一位数学天才。”（He is a mathematical genius.）