To whom it may concern:
I am very pleased to recommend xxx for admission to your university program. as her guidance counselor for three years i have watched this young woman develop both academically and personally into a mature individual ready in every way for her college years.
X is bright, energetic, compassionate and genuinely well rounded. her grades have been consistently above average in all of her courses, and she has actively participated in a diverse assortment of extracurricular activities ranging from track and field and chorus to the school yearbook and our drama club.
X has also spent considerable time outside the school involved in the community. this has included work with meals on wheels and volunteering 10 hours a week at one of our area's shelters for battered and abused women.
They think so much of her at the shelter they have offered her a paid internship for next summer. previously, this internship had never been awarded to anyone before the end of their college sophomore year. despite all the preparations that will be required for going off to college next fall, x told me she is absolutely thrilled about this opportunity and feels it will enhance her university studies.
Unlike many students who are not sure which field to pursue, x has made clear to us all that her goal is to do social work. to this end she has worked tirelessly in our pilot program for mentoring special education students mainstreamed into our school. in closing, let me take a moment to recount an incident which i believe speaks volumes about the superior nature of this candidate. two years ago i was returning from lunch to my office when i saw ahead of me in the hallway 90 pound x, arms stretched out between two 180+ pound students, one a special ed student and the other a school bully. other students were standing by motionless or laughing while x showed the leadership and courage to immediately put an end to the embarrassing fight that had erupted.