Oishei High School Scholarship

Letter of Recommendation - Guide

Information Guide for Families and Students:

For the purposes of the Oishei High School Scholarship, a Letter of Recommendation is a letter that highlights the personal qualities and character traits of the student.

· One Letter of Recommendation is required for your Oishei Scholarship application. The Letter of Recommendation is to be written and signed by someone who knows you well but is NOT a family member.

· We suggest applicants request the Letter of Recommendation to be written by a family friend, religious leader, coach, or other person who knows you outside of your academic sphere.

· The letter should highlight your personal qualifications and character.

While in the application portal, you will be prompted to provide the following information to invite someone to write a Letter of Recommendation:

1. First and Last Name of the person who you are asking to write your letter.

2. The email of the person you are asking to write your letter.

3. A personal message asking them to write you a Letter of Recommendation.

The application system will send an email to the recommender requesting a Letter of Recommendation, along with the deadline date and instructions for uploading the letter to your application.

You will be notified once the Letter of Recommendation is submitted, and you will be able to log back into your application and submit the application for review.

We highly suggest contacting the person you are asking to write a Letter of Recommendation outside of our process to inform them of the opportunity and ask them to complete the letter before the deadline.

If your recommender is not responding you may add up to 3 people as recomenders.  If more than 1 letter is recieved, the applicant may select the 1 letter they would like to be submitted as part of their application.


Information guide for A Scholarship Recommender:

The Letter of Recommendation is an extremely important component to the Oishei High School Scholarship Application. It helps the Selection Committee Members gain a sense of who the applicant you are supporting is as a person. Listed below are some items to consider and mention when writing a recommendation letter on behalf of an applicant.

We also ask that you Do Not include the students name anywhere on the letter. All applications  the Selection Committee reviews are deidentified to reduce bias and help them select a Scholar based on their academic merits and character.

· Example of the student’s academic success

· Example of the student’s display of moral character

· Example of the student’s leadership skills

· Example of the student’s church or community involvement

· Student’s participation and achievement in extracurricular activities

· Student’s success in overcoming a challenge or set-back

· Student award or special recognition

The Foundation prefers that the Letter of Recommendation is typed on letterhead and uploaded into the application portal.  If this presents challenges, there is an open space in the portal for the recommendation to be typed.

If you are having difficulty submitting the letter through the application portal, please contact Eric Yarwood (eyarwood@edcowny.org)