During his school career at our non-selective school, X has been a vital and valued member of his

class throughout and spearheaded the academic ranking within the last graduation cohort. The
school has 1200 students total, with 200 students in their final secondary program. X's course
combination, including Advanced Educational Studies, Biology, and Math, has given him a firm
foundation for his chosen degree program. In addition, his inquiring mind and self-starting
modality propelled him to attain excellence in the English and Spanish language, both of which
are foreign to him. His unprecedented fluency in our English and Spanish classroom and the
quality of his written assignments not only showed his linguistic ability, but how he absorbs the
cultural views embedded in these languages. As an open-minded person, X thrives in the
intellectual exchange of ideas, especially with foreign students, and wants to capture this with
university study abroad.

X's work in Advanced Educational Studies afforded him a solid grounding in varied approaches to
educational psychology. He easily grasps theories dealt with in class, distinguishes their
particular nuances and identifies their potential weaknesses. His ability to factor clues from a
wide range of subjects into a carefully considered answer shows that he has fully understood the
subject's metascientific properties. His eclectic way of thinking proved to be an important asset
which enabled him to achieve consistent excellence across a wide range of subjects. In general, he
approaches all of his studies with a highly analytical turn of mind, leavened by whimsical humour
and easy camaraderie that lead fellow students to enjoy and appreciate his input.

X's perfect score of 14 in his reexamination of the Biology exam effectively answered any
questions about his ability to do excellent work in that subject. His independent definiton of
problems of biological conjectures, logical assessment according to subject-related criteria and
impressively convincing scientific argument underline his capability to detect unverified
assertions and the foundation of technically and methodologically sound skills on which his
analytical mind operates. Furthermore, X is a highly capable Math student who intends to use his
mastery of basic mathematical concepts and applications, to the design and re-evaluation of
experiments in his chosen field of Psychology. Math brings a healthful rigour to the developing
intellect, and its fruits can be readily discerned in X's creative yet disciplined approach to his
studies.

In sum, X is a highly motivated student who almost routinely goes beyond what is required. He is
already capable of considerable self-direction and will thrive in the demanding environment of an
excellent university. In his present volunteer assignment in Z, Michigan, X's ability to adapt to
new situations is underscored by the extremely diverse friendships he has already formed with
mentors, colleagues, and clients. I have the strongest possible confidence that his happy union of
incisive and well-honed intellect with an empathetic outreach to everyone he encounters, will
make him an asset to his chosen course of Psychology at the university level. I am therefore
pleased to warmly recommend X with no hesitation whatever.