Result guide: Developing Approach

WHAT THIS MEANS

This result usually means some pieces of your recommendation plan are in place but others are missing, such as briefing your recommenders, checking school requirements or timing.

Letters from a developing plan are often positive but general, confirming your transcript rather than adding to it.

Most of these gaps are fixable in the next few weeks: a brag sheet drafted this month and a conversation with your counselor can make a real difference.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Strong letters do something grades and test scores cannot: they describe how a student thinks, engages and grows, from someone who saw it firsthand.

Choosing recommenders for how well they know you, not only for the grade they gave you, tends to produce more specific letters.

Briefing your recommenders isn't manipulation; it gives them what they need to write a specific letter rather than a generic one.

WHAT STRONG APPLICANTS DO DIFFERENTLY

• —They write a brag sheet that goes beyond grades, including the class moment or project they remember most from each teacher's class, so the teacher has a specific interaction to write about.
• —They set up a short conversation with their school counselor, or share a written summary if meetings are hard to get, covering their story, intended major and goals.
• —Where schools allow a choice, they pick teachers who can speak to different sides of them, such as how they think in a demanding class and how they contribute to a class community.