Letters of Recommendation

College is the next step in education for many Pony Club High School students. Among High School students Letters of Recommendation can be used for college acceptance, leadership positions in High School clubs, societies and outside activities, or even to gain acceptance into an advanced class. Whatever the reason to need a Letter of Recommendation, it is important to know who to ask, as well as the reasons you are asking.

Starting with whom to ask. If the Letter is geared towards service or volunteerism to gain a place as a leader within the school it is a good idea to seek a writer who is in a leadership position with a service organization you are a member of. This includes; Pony Club, 4-H, FFA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Junior Chamber of Commerce, or any number of service type organizations. If you are not a member of any of those, but you volunteer regularly at a place such as the Salvation Army, a God’s Pantry, a homeless shelter, or Ronald McDonald house, asking someone there in a leadership position to write one for you is always acceptable.

If the Letter of Recommendation is in regards to character (who you are as a person), it is a good idea to ask a mentor or someone who you know well and is respected in the community. It is even better if this person is in an industry you are interested in pursuing.

It is important that the Letter be well-written and have information pertaining directly to you. Generic letters lose the readers interest and don’t contain any of the character a good letter can describe. Even if a generic letter is used, ask the writer/submitter if they will include a personal note about you. This helps to make you as the candidate stand out for the position you seek.

Pony Club offers a sample Letter of Recommendation. This can be used to create a letter from an RS, DC, CA, or any number of other Pony Club leaders for a potential Pony Club member. Some ideas of what the letter can be used for include: National Honor Society, Lettering in equestrian sports, college acceptance, job positions, and class leadership positions to name a few. In Pony Club, the letter can be used to nominate an individual to join the National Youth Board, National Youth Congress, the Visiting Instructor Program or even for one of our many International Exchanges.

For more information on the sample Letter of Recommendation offered by USPC please visit the NEW Pony Club website and click on Parents/Volunteers and then click on Promote Pony Club!