Lincoln Park High School

Dear Members of the Committee,

It is a genuine privilege to recommend Sofia Martinez for admission to your university. I have taught Sofia in both AP English Language and our senior Honors Literature seminar, and in fifteen years of teaching I can count on one hand the students who have matched her combination of intellect, curiosity, and quiet generosity. She graduates in the top 3% of a class of 412, but her transcript is the least interesting thing about her.

Sofia thinks in questions. When our class read Beloved, she was not satisfied with the discussion the rest of us were having — she stayed after class to argue, kindly but relentlessly, that we had missed the point about memory and inheritance. The next week she brought in three outside essays she had found on her own. That instinct to dig past the easy answer is exactly what defines a serious scholar, and Sofia has it in abundance.

Her character matches her mind. As editor of our student literary magazine, Sofia rebuilt a flagging publication into something the whole school is proud of, and she quietly mentors three sophomores through the same writing struggles she once had. She is the student other students go to — for help, for honesty, and for encouragement.

I recommend Sofia Martinez without a single reservation and with my highest enthusiasm. She will be an asset to your classrooms, your community, and your alumni for decades. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can tell you more.