Whom do you ask to write letters of recommendation on your behalf? These letters are a vital element of your application material; take advantage of the opportunity.

The Kaplan website offers valuable insight into selecting recommenders who will best promote your application. From the home page click here.

In this space I’d like to touch upon two issues you may not be as familiar with. First, when law schools say they require two letters of recommendation, you can generally submit up to four because you have many facets to who you are. For example, you are a senior in college and have worked through school. You must definitely get two letters from professors because you are still in an academic environment, and they are the ones who can attest to how you perform in this setting. What about asking your employer? He/she can address your character from a very different perspective. Are you a team player? Ethical? Take a project from inception to completion?

Second, some of you are attending universities with large classes. I went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison; one of my classes had 650 people. The professor didn’t know me, but the teaching assistant did as he was the one who observed my class participation and graded my assignments. If you’re in a similar position, you can ask the teaching assistant to write the letter.

Both the Kaplan website and I try to provide you with as much information as possible, but you are unique; a Kaplan consultant will assist you in selecting the most opportune recommenders for you. For more information about Kaplan admissions consulting, click here.