합격을 도와주는 추천서, 방해하는 추천서 - 미국 대학 입시 교사 추천서 받기-(1)

  

추천서는 SNS의 ‘좋아요’를 클릭하는 일이 아니다. 비슷비슷한 점수와 자격을 갖춘 경쟁자들 사이에서 내가 돋보일 수 있도록 힘을 실어 주거나 때로는 다 된 밥에 재를 뿌리는 역할을 할 수도 있다.

 

올해 대학 입학 지원자들의 지원서 작성을 돕기 위한 내용 중  추천서 항목을 취재하다 보니, 지원서 작성을 위한 교사 추천서를 받는 일은  12학년에 하는 일이 아니라 고교 입학과 동시에 준비해야 하는 일이라는 것을 알게 되었다.

그래서 본지에서는 2회에 걸쳐 교사 추천서에 대해 자세히 소개하고자 한다.

 

1부 ; 어떤 추천서가 좋은 추천서인가?

2부 ; 추천서 잘 받을 수 있는 방법

 

<어떤 추천서가 좋은 추천서인가?>

 

추천서에는 어떤 내용이 담기나?

 

커먼앱(Common Application) 에 포함되어 있는 교사 평가 (Teacher Evaluation) 항목은 다음과 같다.

학업 성취도(Academic achievement), 지적 능력(intellectual promise), 서술 능력(quality of writing), 창의적 독창적 사고(creative, original thought), 생산적 학급 논의(productive class discussion), 교사로부터의 인정(Respect to faculty), 잘 훈련된 공부 습관(disciplined work habits), 성숙도(maturity), 동기부여 (Motivation), 리더십 (leadership), 정직함(integrity), 위기 대처 능력(reaction to setback), 타인에 대한 배려(concern for others), 자신감(self-confidence), 독립성(initiative, independence )등 15가지 각각의 항목들에 대해서 상위 1, 5, 10%, very goog, good, average, below average 의 7개 등급으로 나누어 평가한다. 그리고 평가에 필요한 정보가 충분히 없을 시 '해당 정보 없음(No Basis)'으로 표시하게 된다.

 

등급 평가와 함께 서술형 추천서 작성을 위해 필요에 따라 추가적으로 파일을 첨부 할 수 있다. 

 

MIT는 교사들에게 추천서에 다음과 같은 내용이 담길 수 있도록 ‘추천서 쓰기 가이드’를 제시했다.

 

• 지원자와의 관계를 서술하시오. 지원 학생에 대해 잘 모르면 모른다고 하시오.
• 학생이 일상적인 수업 시간 이외에 학습에 대한 의지를 보인 사례가 있습니까?
• 지원자가 보통 이상의 재능이나 리더십을 가지고 있습니까?
• 학생이 흥미를 느끼는 대상은 무엇입니까?
• 학생, 선생님들과의 관계는 어떠한지 지원자의 성격과 사회성에 대해서 설명하시오.
• 이 학생에 대해 가장 기억에 남는 것은 무엇입니까?
• MIT에 대해서 안다면 이 학생이 우리 학교와 잘 어울린다고 생각되는 점은 무엇이며 우리 학교에서 어떻게 성장할 것이라고 생각됩니까?
• 지원자가 실망하거나 실패한 경험이 있다면 그에 대한 학생의 태도는 어땠습니까?
• 우리가 꼭 알아야 할 지원자의 가족이나 커뮤니티 환경이 있습니까?

어떤 추천서가 좋은 추천서인가?

 

MIT대학은  웹사이트를 통해, 치열한 경쟁자들 사이에서 잘 쓰여진 추천서는 상당히 큰 비중을 차지한다며 추천서 몇 가지를 예를 들어서 설명했다.

 

우선 매년 수천 장씩 받는 흔한 추천서의 예로 든 것은 다음과 같다.

 

 

“Teacher Recommendation for Jen:

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.

 

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.

 

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.”

-평가 ; 구색을 맞추기 위한 에피소드와 영혼 없는 칭찬 일색인 평범한 추천서

 

 

차라리 평범한 것이 더 나을 수도 있는 나쁜 추천서들의 예는 다음과 같다.

 

 

“Teacher recommendation for Brian:

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.”

-평가 ; 추천인이 학생에 대해 무엇을 말하고 있는지 알 수 없는 모호한 내용

 

 

“Guidance Counselor Recommendation for Mike:

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.”

-평가 ; 학생을 잘 모른다는 매우 솔직한 내용이기는 하나 지원자에게 도움이 안 되기는 마찬가지.

 

 

그렇다면 어떤 추천서가 바람직할까? MIT측에서 좋은 추천서라고 소개한 것은 다음과 같다.

 

 

“Teacher Recommendation for David:

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.

 

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.

 

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.”

-평가 ; Excellent. 추천 교사가 학생을 잘 알고 있으며 학습 능력 뿐만 아니라 인성적인 면도 잘 알 수 있는 추천서. 추천서를 통해 학생의 컴퓨터 사이언스에 대한 관심과 사랑까지 알 수 있다고 평가.

 

 

추천서는 전적으로 교사의 일이다. 하지만 대학에서 무엇을 궁금해하고 또 교사에게 어떤 면을 평가 받는지 알고 있다면 좋은 추천서를 받기 위한 노력도 가능하다고 생각된다.

 

"추천서 잘 받을 수 있는 방법" 부터는 다음에 계속...