Students (or their parents) often ask us this question about letters of recommendation in college applications:
Can I submit a letter of recommendation from someone who’s not my teacher or counselor (like a coach, a boss, a pastor, etc.)?
The answer is yes, if a college specifically invites you to do so. But it’s far more common for colleges to ask for letters from teachers and counselors. Most colleges clearly state in their application instructions what they want you to send them. Ignoring those instructions or deciding that you have a better way is one of the surest ways to annoy an admissions officer and even hurt your chances of admission.
But you don’t need a letter of recommendation to prove that you made an impact.
Did you organize the fundraiser for the basketball team?
Were you promoted to assistant manager after only four months at your part-time job?
Did your pastor specifically ask you to become a youth group leader?
Then say so.
Mention it in the “Activity” section of the application as part of the description for the involvement. Share those relevant impact details if you write about the activity in an essay. When your college interviewer gives you an opportunity, give her the backstory about how you ran the fundraiser, or what you did that made you stand out at work, or what your pastor said when he chose you to run the youth group.
A letter of recommendation is just one way to describe an impact you made in an activity. Concentrate first on making an impact in whatever you’re doing. Be so good, committed, or just plain positive that people would notice if you stopped showing up. Then use the pieces and parts of an application to share not only what you did, but also the specific ways you made yourself indispensable.
When you make a real impact, you won’t need a spokesperson to describe it.