Hillsdale College K-12 Classical Education Podcast Writing Letters of Recommendation and Advising Resume Creation
Nov 3, 2025
Jenny Pridgeon, the Director of Field Recruitment at Hillsdale College, shares her insights on crafting impactful letters of recommendation and high school resumes. She emphasizes the importance of showcasing character and work ethic over mere academic metrics. Jenny highlights how vivid anecdotes can make recommendations stand out and discusses which activities students should include on their resumes. She also explains the significance of tailoring letters for specific colleges and the value of a third letter from nonacademic sources.
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Ask For Character, Work Ethic, And Academics
- Ask recommenders to describe the student's character, work ethic, and academic abilities with concrete examples.
- Use specific classroom anecdotes that show persistence or growth rather than vague praise.
Keep Letters Short And Specific
- Keep letters to about a page and avoid long autobiographical introductions that steal space.
- Avoid near-identical template language across different students; personalize each letter with fresh detail.
Lead With A Short Anecdote
- Open with a vivid, short anecdote to show the student's character and hook the reader.
- Use lively, descriptive details to make the recommendation memorable.