Make a Brag Sheet for Your Letter of Recommendation Writer

What is a brag sheet?

A brag sheet is very similar to a student resume - it showcases your accomplishments, experiences, leadership skills, extracurricular activities, and any employment or volunteer work you’ve done during your high school career.

What can I use a brag sheet for?

Brag sheets are useful for a variety of purposes, but sharing them with any teachers or counselors you’re asking to write letters of recommendation is a great way to ensure they write the best possible recommendation for you! Brag sheets can also be shared with college interviewers or admissions representatives - even if the interview is done over video, and with those you ask to be references for jobs you’re applying to.

Creating your brag sheet

First, brainstorm!

Starting from your first year of high school, brainstorm every experience or achievement that shaped who you are, or that you’re proud of from your high school career. You can include any clubs, activities, leadership, athletics, art, music, employment (babysitting counts!), volunteering, tough classes you did well in, etc.

Once you’re finished brainstorming, start organizing your activities into categories.

Take the list you’ve created and start organizing all the different activities into cohesive categories - leadership activities in one group, employment, art, music, volunteering, academics, clubs, and so on all in distinct groups.

Use these categories to create your story.

Narrow down each category to 2 or 3 activities that had the largest impact on you, and then use these activities to create your story. For example, if you did drama, you might describe your two favorite performances, and how those roles helped you grow as a person and an actor.

As you weave these groups of stories about your activities and accomplishments throughout your high school career together, a cohesive, compelling narrative that succinctly states what makes you unique will start to appear - and that’s your brag sheet!

By creating a brag sheet, you’re helping your recommender understand your story - what you’ve done, how it’s shaped you, and more - allowing them to write the most accurate and illuminating recommendation, which will help you get into college!!

Want more tips on creating a brag sheet, asking for a letter of recommendation, or applying to college? Text “ Hello” to 33-55-77 and our college advisors will walk you through it!