The Symptoms of Panic Disorder

The Symptoms of Panic Disorder Panic Disorder Symptoms Print The Symptoms of Panic Disorder By Katharina Star, PhD facebook linkedin Katharina Star, PhD, is an expert on anxiety and panic disorder. Dr. Star is a professional counselor, and she is trained in creative art therapies and mindfulness. Learn about our editorial policy Katharina Star, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on January 25, 2020 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 Istockphoto.com/Stock Photo ©Highwaystarz-Photography More in Panic Disorder Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Coping Related Conditions In This Article Table of Contents Expand Panic Attacks Agoraphobia Treatment Options for Panic Disorder View All Back To Top Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by fear and worry. One of the most salient symptoms is the experience of persistent and often unanticipated panic attacks. Panic attacks are typically experienced through a combination of frightening physical sensations and distressing thoughts and emotions. These attacks bring on severe apprehension and discomfort, despite a lack of actual threat or danger.?? Panic disorder is diagnosed as occurring with or without agoraphobia. Agoraphobia involves a fear of having one of these intense panic attacks in a place or situation where it would be very difficult or embarrassing to escape.?? Often times, the fear associated with agoraphobia can lead to many avoidance behaviors. By limiting one’s ability to be in certain situations, people with agoraphobia often experience feelings of loneliness as well as overall diminished quality of life. Below we will discuss panic attacks which are the main feature of panic disorder. Panic disorder may occur with or without agoraphobia, and the symptoms of agoraphobia will also be discussed. We will also talk about some of the treatments for panic disorder, and the importance of getting help if you suffer these symptoms. Panic Attacks The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders is the handbook used by mental health specialists for diagnostic purposes. Professionals who treat panic disorder use the criteria set forth in the DSM-5 to determine a person’s diagnosis. The diagnostic criteria for panic attacks are outlined in the manual. Panic attacks, as part of panic disorder, include four or more of the following symptoms:?? Heart palpitations or an accelerated heart rate (pulse)Excessive sweatingTrembling or shakingShortness of breathFeeling of chokingChest painNausea or abdominal painFeeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faintDerealization or depersonalizationFear of losing control or going crazyFear of dyingFeelings of numbness or tingling sensationsChills or hot flashes The symptoms of panic attacks typically occur spontaneously and peak within the first 10 minutes before gradually subsiding. However, these symptoms have the potential to last longer. Additionally, numerous panic attacks can occur one after the other, making it difficult to fully recognize when one attack has ended and another one has begun.?? The fact that many of these symptoms occur spontaneously does not mean that they were not at all expected. There are two separately defined types of panic attacks depending on just this factor: Unexpected panic attacks occur without any obvious trigger or cause. They can come on seemingly out of the blue even when you are relaxed and resting.Expected panic attacks are those which occur when you are exposed to one of your triggers. For example, if you have a fear of flying you may have a panic attack when you board a plane. Agoraphobia Approximately one-third of people with panic disorder will also develop agoraphobia. People with agoraphobia are afraid that they will have some anxiety symptoms or a full-blown panic attack in a place where it would be very challenging or embarrassing for them to flee. This condition can lead to avoidance behaviors, in which they try to stay away from all places or situations in which they may have a panic attack. The avoidance behaviors associated with agoraphobia can greatly restrict a person’s life. People with agoraphobia often develop groups of feared situations that are related. For example, many people with agoraphobia become extremely upset and uncomfortable in areas where there are many people in a confined space. This fear may limit them from standing in line at a store, going to a movie theater, or traveling on an airplane. Other commonly feared situations for people with agoraphobia include forms of travel, being alone, and open spaces. These fears may result in an inability to even leave their homes. While many people with agoraphobia can face their feared situations, it involves intense stress and anxiety. The symptoms of agoraphobia often limit the person’s day-to-day functioning and restrict where they can work, shop, or travel. Treatment Options for Panic Disorder Panic disorder is a condition that causes many disturbing mental, physical, and emotional symptoms. Despite these intense symptoms, panic disorder, panic attacks, and agoraphobia are all treatable conditions. Given that agoraphobia typically develops early in the course of panic disorder, it is important to seek out help early on. However, treatment can provide much improvement, even for those with long-term symptoms. There are several effective treatment options for panic disorder. These include:?? Medications for panic disorder can assist with reducing the severity of panic attacks and reducing the feelings of anxiety.Psychotherapy can aid in developing new ways of thinking and behaving that can help a person cope with her symptomsRelaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and visualization, which can offer strategies to overcome panic attacks and help with anxiety overall.Good self-careâ€"Taking care of yourself such as with exercise, eating well, and managing your sleep habits can also go along with helping you cope with panic disorder. Find Support With the 9 Best Online Therapy Programs A Word From Verywell Panic disorder can greatly impact a persons quality of life, limiting your life, and causing you to miss out on many things, including anything beyond your door. That said, there are many effective treatments and strategies which can help people overcome panic attacks. You can learn to manage the symptoms of panic disorder and regain control over your life.

The Wright Brothers and the First Flight of an Airplane

In 1899, after Wilbur Wright had written a letter of request to the Smithsonian Institution for information about flight experiments, the Wright Brothers designed their first aircraft. It was a small, biplane glider flown as a kite to test their solution for controlling the craft by wing warping. Wing warping is a method of arching the wingtips slightly to control the aircrafts rolling motion and balance. Lessons From Birdwatching The Wright Brothers spent a great deal of time observing birds in flight. They noticed that birds soared into the wind and that the air flowing over the curved surface of their wings created lift. Birds change the shape of their wings to turn and maneuver. They believed that they could use this technique to obtain roll control by warping or changing the shape, of a portion of the wing. The Gliders Experiments Over the next three years, Wilbur and his brother Orville would design a series of gliders that would be flown in both unmanned (as kites) and piloted flights. They read about the works of Cayley  and Langley and the hang-gliding flights of Otto Lilienthal. They corresponded with Octave Chanute concerning some of their ideas. They recognized that control of the flying aircraft would be the most crucial and hardest problem to solve. So following a successful glider test, the Wrights built and tested a full-size glider. They selected Kitty Hawk, North Carolina as their test site because of its wind, sand, hilly terrain and remote location. In the year 1900, the Wright brothers successfully tested their new 50-pound biplane glider with its 17-foot wingspan and wing-warping mechanism at Kitty Hawk in both unmanned and piloted flights. In fact, it was the first piloted glider. Based on the results, the Wright Brothers planned to refine the controls and landing gear, and build a bigger glider. In 1901, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers flew the largest glider ever flown. It had  a 22-foot wingspan, a weight of nearly 100 pounds and skids for landing. However, many problems occurred. The wings did not have enough lifting power, the forward elevator was not effective in controlling the pitch and the wing-warping mechanism occasionally caused the airplane to spin out of control. In their disappointment, they predicted that man will probably not fly in their lifetime. In spite of the problems with their last attempts at flight, the Wright brothers  reviewed their test results and determined that the calculations they had used were not reliable. They decided to build a wind tunnel to test a variety of wing shapes and their effect on lift. Based upon these tests, the inventors had a greater understanding of how an airfoil (wing) works and could calculate with greater accuracy how well a particular wing design would fly. They planned to design a new glider with a 32-foot wingspan and a tail to help stabilize it. The Flyer In 1902, the Wright brothers flew numerous test glides using their new glider. Their studies showed that a movable tail would help balance the craft and so they connected a movable tail to the wing-warping wires to coordinate turns. With successful glides to verify their wind tunnel tests, the inventors planned to build a powered aircraft. After months of studying how propellers work, the Wright Brothers designed a motor and a new aircraft sturdy enough to accommodate the motors weight and vibrations. The craft weighed 700 pounds and came to be known as the Flyer. The  First Manned Flight The Wright brothers built a movable track to help launch the Flyer. This downhill track would help the aircraft gain enough airspeed to fly. After two attempts to fly this machine, one of which resulted in a minor crash, Orville Wright took the Flyer for a 12-second, sustained flight on December 17, 1903. This was the first successful powered and piloted flight in history. In 1904, the first flight lasting more than five minutes took place on November 9th. The Flyer II was flown by Wilbur Wright. In 1908, passenger flight took a turn for the worse when the first fatal air crash occurred on September 17. Orville Wright was piloting the plane. Orville Wright survived the crash, but his passenger, Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, did not. The Wright Brothers had been allowing passengers to fly with them since May 14, 1908. In 1909, the U.S. Government bought its first airplane, a Wright Brothers biplane, on July 30. The airplane sold for $25,000 plus a bonus of $5,000 because it exceeded 40 mph. Wright Brothers - Vin Fiz First Armed Airplane On July 18, 1914, an Aviation Section of the Signal Corps (part of the Army) was established. Its flying unit contained airplanes made by the Wright Brothers as well as some made by their chief competitor, Glenn Curtiss. Patent Suit Although Glenn Curtisss invention, ailerons (French for little wing), was far different from the Wrights wing-warping mechanism, the Court determined that use of lateral controls by others was unauthorized by patent law.

The Price Of A Coca Cola - 1414 Words

The graph below represents the price of a Coca-Cola stock from 1988 onwards (the availability of the data is from 1988). Over the past three or four years from 2012 onwards, the price of the stock has fallen from around $14 to around $9. A reasonable growth rate for the company in the future would be around 1 to 2%, taking into account of macroeconomic conditions and changes in consumer preferences. However, since Coca-Cola is a global brand with relatively large market share, the duration of decline in company performance will be shorter. As an approximation, the growth of the company will grow around 2% a year. Dividend Discount Model The dividend discount model (DDM) is a method for valuing the price of a stock by using past historical data to predict future dividends and then discounting them back to present value. It can be deduced that if the value obtained from the DDM is higher than what the shares are currently trading at, then the stock is undervalued. In other words, the value of a stock is equal to the future value of all the dividends, discounted by an appropriate risk-adjusted rate. This is because no stock is ultimately worth more than what it will provide investors in terms of current and future dividends. To calculate the value for a stock, the formula is given: From part (3), the discount rate is 5.38% and from part 4, the growth rate is 2%. On average, the dividend return per share is 22.61c. This is on average for every dividend distribution fromShow MoreRelatedPrice Adaptation And Changes Of Coca Cola2108 Words   |  9 PagesPrice Adaptation and Changes The price of the product and/or service a firm charges to their customers, whether they are customers in the beginning stages of the supply chain, such as a wholesaler or retailer, or whether they are the end consumers, are to cover the costs of obtaining, procuring, marketing and selling the product and/or service and to turn a profit for the company. 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Glass ceiling Free Essays

Shlreen Naqvi Submitted To: Sir. Jahangir Abstract: The glass ceiling persists for women in public relations and communications management, despite increasing feminization of these fields. This qualitative study seeks to Identify factors that support and perpetuate the problem of the glass celling for women in public relations and corporate communications management. We will write a custom essay sample on Glass ceiling or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction: Glass ceiling, the point at which you can clearly see the next level of promotion but despite of your best effort, an invisible barrier seems to stop you from proceeding further In order to reach your set goals. Traditionally, the glass ceiling was a concept applied to women and some of the minorities. It was very hard but not impossible for them to reach upper management positions. No matter how qualified or experienced, they simply were not given opportunltles to further advance with their careers. Today, there are many more women and minorities in powerful positions. However the glass ceiling is still very real and it is not always limited to gender or race. It is a topic to be discussed In order to overcome this hurdle and to make necessary arrangements in the systems where ever necessary, so that everyone has a free hand to flourish more and more. Research objectives: The aim of this article is to highlight the problems which the female employees face In their career, how the gender discrimination Is being done and the dfferent ways nd tools in order to make the female employees to lag behind. lass ceiling By shireennaqvi Shireen Naqvi seeks to identify factors that support and perpetuate the problem of the glass ceiling further in order to reach your set goals. Traditionally, the glass ceiling was a concept they simply were not given opportunities to further advance with their careers. topic to be discussed in order to overcome this hurdle and to make necessary in their career, how the gender discrimination is being done and the different ways How to cite Glass ceiling, Papers

The Beginners Advantage free essay sample

My sophomore year, my parents encouraged me to join the robotics team. Walking down the hall toward room N172, my mind stirred with excitement. But as I stepped inside the door, I felt like an outcast. Nobody greeted me. My willingness to join a group was not even worth a simple, â€Å"Hi. What’s your name?† As nobody paid the slightest attention to me, I migrated toward five guys in a corner. A mechanical carcass was undergoing surgery. As the older student touched two wires, the machine twitched with a knee jerk reflex. The extrovert in me pushed to overcome my dominant introvert. â€Å"What are you doing here? My name is Jacob. What is yours?† â€Å"Hi. I am Alex. The wires are loose on this ‘bot,† said a smiley red-head. I managed to establish a relationship, but the group presented a hard wall to penetrate. But, the lack of attention on my first entrance did not keep me from attending. We will write a custom essay sample on The Beginners Advantage or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I continued to come and establish friends. And as years passed, I rose into leadership positions. Because of the experiences I had as a beginner, I have been able to shape the club for the better. By conversing with my peers, I learned they were blind to their rudeness. They had been attending since freshman year and didn’t need a welcome. For a new member walking in, the fear of not knowing anyone is intimidating. So, now I come early and stand near the door. Each member receives a greeting, whether it be a question about their week or a simple â€Å"Hello.† I try my best to remember my teammates names. As a regular attender, it is easy to embrace the norm, but from the nervous thoughts of a novice flow the ideas for a better reality. I remembered my anxious beginnings and helped the team be more inviting.

A Beautiful Mind Essays - Psychiatric Diagnosis, Psychopathology

A Beautiful Mind Essays - Psychiatric Diagnosis, Psychopathology Mr. Leonardis PPL 3O4 November 17, 2015 A Beautiful Mind In the movie A Beautiful Mind I believe that it is portrayed that an individual with mental illness can lead a normal life. The character being explored is John Nash, a mathematical genius who suffers from schizophrenia. Throughout the movie he faces many hardships that are a result of his schizophrenia, but I believe that despite the difficulties, with treatment he leads a relatively normal life. First, John has family and friends. Part of a normal life is being able to have meaningful connections with others. John has a wife, Alicia, who is very devoted to him, this is especially shown when she remains with him even through his difficulty with his mental illness. He also has friends from his university years, Martin Hansen and Sol, who work with him at the university. Even after university he remains close with them. After Johns absence from work, its Hansen that gives him another job at the university, which demonstrates their close bond. Secondly, John has a career. Even though h e has schizophrenia, John manages to maintain a career, and even succeeds in his field to such a degree that he is nominated and wins a Nobel Prize in economics. Next, John is educated. A common stigma surrounding people with mental illnesses is that they are less intelligent than those without mental illness. John Nash studied and taught at Princeton University, and therefore spent the majority of his life being educated or educating. Next, John is able to differentiate between what is real and what is in his mind. In the beginning, John struggles with this but later in the movie, and with help from those around him, he is able to take control of his mind. Finally, he is able to recover from difficult circumstances. When it is brought to light that he has schizophrenia Johns life goes in a downward spiral. He loses his job and is committed to a mental institution. As well as his relationship with his wife and friends struggles. Once he receives adequate help, and makes himself comp rehend what is going on, he is able to return to a more stable state of mind. In conclusion, with a strong support system and adequate medical help, individuals with a mental illness can lead a normal life.

These 2 Recommendation Letters Got Me Into Harvard and the Ivy League

These 2 Recommendation Letters Got Me Into Harvard and the Ivy League SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When I applied to college, I was accepted into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, the Ivy League, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and more.While I had a strong overall application, the two teacher letters of recommendation were CRITICAL in getting me admitted. Why? Both teacherssaid I was one of the top students they had ever taught. Both enthusiastically advocated for my personality, leadership skills, and energy. How can YOUearn recommendation letters that will get you into your top choicecolleges?I'll show you how in this article. For the first time, I'm sharing my FULL, UNEDITED letters of recommendation as examples for you. These are the exact letters submitted when I applied to college. Even better, you'll see exactly what my Harvard admissions officer underlined - what really stood out as important and noteworthy. First Things First Quick question - how confident are you in knowingwhat colleges are looking for in your recommendation letters? Do you have a strong understanding of what an effective letter consists of, and what a bad letter looks like? Manystudents have the totally wrong idea of what colleges are looking for in recommendation letters. This, naturally, leads to subpar letters for students. Before I show you my letters, I first want to explainWHYrecommendation letters from teachers are such an important part of your college application, and then WHAT makes effective letters so effective. If you're chomping at the bit and really want to jump directly to my letters, here's Recommendation Letter Example #1, and here's Recommendation Letter Example #2. BUT I highly recommend that you stick with me for the next two sections - you'll get a lot more out of this guide and get much stronger rec letters as a result. Why Teacher Recommendation Letters Are So Important for College The goal of your overall college application is to communicate who you are as a person, in an easily digestible package that can take 20 minutes to understand (or less). From this package, colleges will decide whether they want you to join their community or not. Yeah, it doesn't feel great to have your 18 years of existence compressed into a web form. But that's the best system colleges have come up with so far to deal with the tens of thousands ofcollege applications they receive every year. (UCLA with a record 112,000+ applications) What do colleges care most about? Ultimately, it boils down to two things: how likely you are to succeed in college and in your career how much you'll benefit the school community as a student and beyond These are the ultimate goals of colleges when selecting their next class of students. Your application must convince the college that you will succeed in both goals. Of course, these are complex ideas -success is not only hard to predict, but different people also have different ideas of what success means. But there are a few general principles that hold true for most colleges: previous academic success is a great predictor of future academic success, which in turn predicts career success. certain personality traits are preferred: integrity, leadership, curiosity, creativity, empathy, perseverance, motivation, ambition, collaboration, confidence, and others. You don't need to be perfect in all dimensions, but some of these should apply strongly to you. you also generally want to avoid the opposite of these traits. These are all bad adjectives: unethical,narrow-minded, unmotivated, self-centered, arrogant, rude. For the first admissions requirement of academic success, your coursework and test scores play the biggest role. If you took a rigorous courseload and got a high GPA, and you got a high SAT/ACT score, you have shown that you can handle high school academics. This means you're in a great position to succeed academically in college. Feel like your SAT/ACT scores aren't high enough to impress your top choice colleges?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your SAT/ACT score. Download it for free now: How do you show the second requirement - personality traits? Part of this is in your personal essays and extracurriculars, where you'll show what you're interested in and give voice to your personality. But of courseyou'll describe yourself as curious, creative, collaborative, kind, and so forth. Who would describe themselves as unethical and mean? This is why colleges need objective, third-party observers to comment on who you are. This is where your teacher recommendations come in, and why they're so important. The role of the rec letter is to show who you are as a person.Your teachers haveengaged with you throughout at least a year of class. They've seen you in class with other students, and possibly out of class too. There are hundreds of small interactions that piece together to form your teacher's impression of you. How do you interact with students? How do you interact with teachers? How creative was your work? How much did you participate in class discussions? How motivated were you to excel in school? Are you a jerk nobody wants to be around? Or are you someone the teacher entrusts with the future? A greatteacher recommendation tells the college all of the above. Let's Hear From Harvard's Dean of Admissions What if you don't fully believe me yet? I'm just one guy with his own admissions experiences. So I'm going to call on William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard College: Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on â€Å"reader sheets† in each application.We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning. Along with essays, interviews, and other materials in the application, recommendations can offer evidence of an applicant’s potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond. Source Notice how he says Harvard is "faced with more academically qualified applicants than places." What does this imply? "Among a pool of students with the same academic qualifications, we use personality traits to decide who to admit or reject."And letters of recommendation for students describe those personality traits. To beat a dead horse: your teacher recommendations add more color to your academic achievements, your test scores, and your GPA. The best recommendation letters for colleges rave about your personality and personal qualities. This is why my two letters below are so effective. You do NOT want your recommendation letters to just be repeats of your resume. This gives the admissions officer ZERO extra information about who you are a person. You do NOT want your recommendation letters to just say, "Johnny got an A and turned in his homework on time." This makes it very obvious that the teacher has no idea who you are as a person, which means it adds ZERO to your application. Great recommendations talk about more than your class performance. They discuss your personal qualities, how interacting with you feels like, and why you're likely to succeed in the future. First, I'm going to show my letters to you, with analysis of why they were so effective. You'll see the highlights made by my Harvard admissions officer, which will tell you what things she found important. Then I'll give you advice on how to build relationships with your teachers so you can get letters like this on your own. My Letter of Recommendation Samples Usually you don’t get to read letters of recommendation for students because you sign the FERPA waiver, waiving away your rights to read your application. But I was able to retrieve my full Common App and Harvard applicationfrom Harvard, complete with my original letters of recommendation. Most colleges require you to have two letters from teachers in different subjects.The two teachers I asked for letters were my favorite two teachers in all of high school. Personally, I vibed most strongly with teachers who actually cared about teaching. They gave engaged studentswith energy, treated us kindly and empathetically, and went above expectations to help students succeed. Not only did I have the most fun with these teachers, but they were also more likely to advocate for me enthusiastically in their letter. You might not vibe with teachers for the same reasons, but it's important you choose teachers you get along with and who you feel will write you very strong letters. My first letter comes from my AP Chemistry teacher from 10th grade. My second comes from my AP English Language teacher from 11th grade. As you read these letters, remember - these letters didn't come instantly. They take hundreds of small interactions over a year or more to build an impression of who you are. You can't trick a teacher into writing a great recommendation letter for you. If you honestly like learning and are an enthusiastic, responsible, engaging student, a great recommendation letter will follow naturally. The horse should lead the cart. Teacher Letter #1: AP Chemistry Teacher I took AP Chemistry in 10th grade and had Miss Cherryl Vorak (now Mynster). She was one of our younger teachers, having taught for just a few years before I had her. She was my favorite teacher throughout high school for these reasons: She clearly took pride in her work. She wasvery caring, spent a lot of time helping struggling students, and seemed to consider teaching her craft. She was universally well liked by her students, even if they weren’t doing so well. This is pretty rare. She was fair in her policies and grading, and she was kind. This was the kind of teacher where if you weren't doing well, you felt like it was your fault, not the teacher's. I participated in the US National Chemistry Olympiad (this was the major academic honor I earned) and she was my advocate and a great resource for this.She provided me a lot of training materials and helped me figure out college chemistry. By the time I applied to college in senior year,I had known her for two full years and engaged with her continuously, even when I wasn't taking a class with her in junior year. We’d build up a strong relationship over the course of hundreds of small interactions. All of this flowed down to the recommendation you see here.The horse leads the cart. First, we’ll look at the teacher evaluation page. The Common Application now has 16 qualities to rate, rather than the 10 here. But they’re largely the same. If the images are hard to read, keep scrolling down - I provide the recommendation in text form. How long have you known this student and in what context? I've known Allen as a student inside the classroom and outside the classroom in extracurricular academic activities since he was in the 10th grade.What are the first words that come to your mind to describe this student? Intelligent, motivated critical thinker; Charasmatic, well rounded, talented individual; Independent, mature, responsible student. List the courses you have taught this student, noting for each the student's year in school (10th, 11th, 12th) and the level of course difficulty (AP, accelerated, honors, IB, elective, etc.) As a 10th grader, Allen was one of the top students in my AP Chemistry class. Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics.We are particularly interested in the candidate’s intellectual promise, motivation, maturity, integrity, independence, originality, initiative, leadershippotential, capacity for growth, special talents, enthusiasm, concern for others, respect accorded by faculty, and reaction to setbacks. We welcomeinformation that will help us to differentiate this student from others. See enclosed letter. Ratings Compared to other college-bound students in his or her secondary school class, how do you rate this student in terms of: Below Average Average Good (above average) Very Good (well above average) Excellent (top 10%) Outstanding (top 5%) One of the top few encountered in my career Creative, original thought âÅ"“ Motivation âÅ"“ Self-confidence âÅ"“ Independence, initiative âÅ"“ Intellectual ability âÅ"“ Academic achievement âÅ"“ Written expression of ideas âÅ"“ Effective class discussion âÅ"“ Disciplined work habits âÅ"“ Potential for growth âÅ"“ This was the Common Application from 2004-05, over 10 years ago. In today’s Common Application, all of these ratings are retained, aside from â€Å"Potential for Growth.† Today's Common Appalso now includes Faculty Respect, Maturity, Leadership, Integrity, Reaction to Setbacks, Concern for Others, and TE Overall. You can tell that Common App teacher evaluations placea strongemphasis on personality. From Miss Vorak, you can seea very strong evaluation. First she says she's known me for over 2 years and has had interactions inside and outside the classroom. Then she's very enthusiastic with her "first words" answer, listing off a lot of strong personal traits.Finally, she gives me the highest ratings possible for all qualities. The Ratings section is really important. In one go, you're compared to all the students your teacher has ever taught. The better your ratings here, the more competitive you are relative to your classmates. What makes for good enough ratings for you? That depends on your personal college goals and your school's competitiveness. The more competitive the colleges are, the higher up your ratings need to be. If you're applying to your state school, where the admissions rate is 30%, and your high school is pretty competitve, simply being Very Good or Excellent can be a strong rating for you. On the other hand, if you're applying to the most selective colleges like Harvard, Stanford, or the other Ivy League schools,it is important to be ranked â€Å"One of the top few encountered in my career† for as many ratings as possible. If you’re part of a big school, this is CRITICAL to distinguish yourself from other students. The more experienced and trustworthy the teacher, the more meaningful this is.You really want to make sure you’re one of the best in your school class, if not one of the best the teacher has ever encountered. Next, let’s look at her letter. As you read this, think – what are the interactions that would prompt the teacher to write a recommendation like this? This was a relationship built up in a period of over 2 years, with every small interaction adding to an overall larger impression. Again, if the images are too small to read, I'll have the exact text below, so scroll down. And here's the letter in text form. I've bolded the sections that were underlined by my Harvard admissions officer: To Whom It May Concern: It is with very great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Allen Cheng to support his application for admission into Harvard. Allen has a deep passion for science and has been one of the few exceptionally gifted students that I have encountered in my career as an Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher. Among his many achievements and accomplishments, Allen’s performance on a battery of Chemistry Olympiad exams taken by approximately 11,000 students nationwide recently secured him the position as the second alternate for the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team, ranking 6th in the country for a team which represented our nation in the International Chemistry Olympiad competition in Germany this past spring. As a senior, Allen hopes to surpass his performance once more in hopes of securing a solid position as one of the four members on the 2005 U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team this coming spring. I first encountered Allen when he was a sophomore in my AP Chemistry class. He was the youngest student in the class of upper classmen, but he was the top excelling student among the two sections of AP Chemistry classes that I taught during the 2002-2003 academic year. As a sophomore, he worked very well with others, mastered laboratory techniques, earned the top score on the AP Chemistry Exam, and was one of the top performers on the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam that year. As one of the top performers on the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam in 2003, Allen was one of twenty students in the nation who qualified to be a participant in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad National Team in the spring that year. He spent an extensive amount of time studying independently in order to ensure that he would cover all of the topics that our class did not yet study and often sought additional instruction during lunch and after school during which he asked questions and performed labs from previous Chemistry Olympiad competitions for practice. When results were published, Allen was ecstatic to have qualified as one of the twenty participants in the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp and he enjoyed the experience training for the International Chemistry Olympiad during which he was exposed to Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, etc., branches of science typically encountered at the college level. As a member of my Advanced Placement Chemistry class, I have found Allen to be an intelligent, conscientious, motivated and responsible student who masters theory-and applies it well. He academically excelled among his peers, often explained concepts to confused classmates, actively participated during discussion, asked questions to ensure that he had a firm understanding of concepts, and sought additional sources for supplementary problem solving exercises. As a scientist, he was always meticulous when performing experiments, he led his lab group to successfully complete experiments, he wrote great detailed analytical lab reports, and he worked well with others. Allen is a self motivated, dedicated, hardworking student of high intelligence who can grasp difficult concepts, think critically and handle the rigor of a competitive college environment. He exhibits the qualities of a leader and promising scientist who truly loves science. Allen truly impresses me as a student who actively seeks new experiences which support his love for science. This past summer, Allen was a participant at the Research Science Institute at MIT where he conducted research in the field of neuroscience. In addition, Allen has been conducting research with the Jisan Research Institute under the guidance of a professor for two years and has recently coauthored a paper which was published and presented in the LASTED International Conference on Robotics and Applications in Hawaii this year. In addition to conducting research, Allen has also been volunteering at Methodist Hospital and in an immunology lab at the City of Hope National Medical Center where he has been able to strengthen his general laboratory skills. He is clearly an independent, active member of society who pursues personal interests. Beyond his academic excellence, Allen is a charismatic individual who is respected and liked by faculty and peers. Throughout his high school career, Allen often stopped by my room during lunch to take my AP Chemistry tests to review his general chemistry, but he also often stopped by during lunch or after school to chat about his latest developments, events in school, or other various topics. His maturity and charisma are qualities that are quite rare among high school students. He interacts well with his peers be it in the classroom setting or with the broader diverse student population where he is well known as a balanced individual with a warm personality and sense of humor. He balances his time well by excelling in a heavy course load filled with advanced placement classes and he also participates in various school and community activities, including our school’s academic teams which provide a structured yet fun forum for competition and learning. Allen is a well rounded individual who clearly enjoys a challenge. Overall, Allen exhibits the qualities of a leader as well as a great scientist who has had ample research experience and excels academically in challenging, college level courses. He is an intelligent, well-rounded, and grounded individual who challenges himself and actively seeks new opportunities and experiences. He has the determination, maturity, and intelligence to succeed in any endeavor and always maintains a positive attitude. His academic and personal achievements show that he is committed to his education and will work hard to achieve his goals. He exudes confidence and has a vivid, outgoing, and friendly personality that allows him to get along with others very well in any setting. I admire him for his intelligence, sincerity, honesty, and integrity and am impressed by his discipline as an independent learner. He is a highly motivated individual with a thirst for knowledge. Allen Cheng would truly be a superior addition to the student body at Harvard. Sincerely, Cherryl Vorak AP Chemistry, Chemistry Honors Teacher The letter here is very strong for a multitude of reasons. First, the length is notable – most letters are just a page long, but this is nearly two full pages, single spaced.This is pretty rare, since teachers often have to write dozens of letters a year. It's clear she's interacted with me a lot, cares a lot about supporting me, and is willing to put in the work to do so. The structure is effective: first Miss Vorak talks about my academic accomplishments, then about my personal qualities and interactions, then a summary to the future. This is a perfect blend of what effective letters contain.She highlights my most important extracurricular activities and awards (you can read more about it here in my Complete college application). At the detail level, her diction and phrasing are specific and supportive. She makes my standing clear with precisestatements: â€Å"youngest student†¦top excelling student among the two sections† and â€Å"one of twenty students in the nation.† She’s clear about describing the effort I put in, like studying college-level chemistry and studying independently. When describing my personality, she’s exuberant and fleshes out a range of dimensions: â€Å"conscientious, motivated and responsible,† â€Å"exhibits the qualities of a leader,† â€Å"actively seeks new experiences,† â€Å"charismatic,† â€Å"balanced individual with a warm personality and sense of humor.† You can see how she's really checking off all the qualities colleges care about and corroborating her ratings. Overall, Miss Vorak’s letter perfectly supports my application– my love for science, my overall academic performance, and my personality. The last part is especially important - she adds much more color beyond my A in AP Chemistry.This letter was important to complement the overall academic performance and achievements shown on the rest of my application. Let's go to my second Common App teacher recommendation. Curious about what my college application looked like, including personal essays, grades, test scores, and extracurriculars? You're in luck - I've published my ENTIRE college application here. This includes my complete Common Application, teacher recommendations, counselor recommendation, and Harvard supplement. This application got me into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and more. Check out how Miss Vorak's letter complemented my entire college application and my Personal Narrative. Teacher Letter #2: AP English Language Teacher My second teacher Mrs. Swift was another favorite. A middle-aged, experiencedEnglish teacher, I would describe her as â€Å"fiery,† in a good way. She was passionate, always trying to get a rise out of students in class discussions. She was challenging as a teacher and grader, and I always wanted to impress her. Emotionally she was a reliable source of support for students. First, the teacher evaluation from the Common App: How long have you known this student and in what context? 2 years, AP student. What are the first words that come to your mind to describe this student? (blank) List the courses you have taught this student, noting for each the student's year in school (10th, 11th, 12th) and the level of course difficulty (AP, accelerated, honors, IB, elective, etc.) 11th Grade AP English Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics.We are particularly interested in the candidate’s intellectual promise, motivation, maturity, integrity, independence, originality, initiative, leadershippotential, capacity for growth, special talents, enthusiasm, concern for others, respect accorded by faculty, and reaction to setbacks. We welcomeinformation that will help us to differentiate this student from others. (blank) Ratings Compared to other college-bound students in his or her secondary school class, how do you rate this student in terms of: Below Average Average Good (above average) Very Good (well above average) Excellent (top 10%) Outstanding (top 5%) One of the top few encountered in my career Creative, original thought âÅ"“ Motivation âÅ"“ Self-confidence âÅ"“ Independence, initiative âÅ"“ Intellectual ability âÅ"“ Academic achievement âÅ"“ Written expression of ideas âÅ"“ Effective class discussion âÅ"“ Disciplined work habits âÅ"“ Potential for growth âÅ"“ You can see right away that her remarks are terser. She didn’t even fill out the section about â€Å"first words that come to mind to describe this student.† You might chalk this up to my not being as standout of a student in her mind, or her just getting tired of recommendation letter requests every year. In ratings, I earned three of the â€Å"one of the top in my career† for "Motivation," "Independence, initiative," and "Intellectual ability." The rest are marked as Outstanding (top 5%). These are overall great ratings, but not as universally "top ever" compared to my AP Chemistry teacher. There are a few explanations for this. As a teacher’s career lengthens, it gets increasingly hard to earn this mark. Since Mrs. Swift was a lot older than Miss Vorak, she had run through a ton of students already, which makes it harder to be one of the top few ever encountered. I probably also didn’t stand out as much as I did to my Chemistry teacher – most of my achievement was in science (which she wasn’t closely connected to), and I had talented classmates. Regardless, I did appreciate the 3 marks she gave me. Now, the letter. Once again, as you read this letter, think: what are the hundreds of interactions, in the classroom and outside, that would have led to a letter like this? To Whom It May Concern: It is with great pleasure that I recommend Allen Cheng for admission to your school. In my three years of working with him, he has demonstrated the qualities necessary for high success in the demanding academic atmosphere of a high caliber university as well as the social skills needed to be successful in college. Academically, he is an extremely strong student, earning an A both semesters in AP Junior English (a feat few accomplish), and A’s throughout his high school career. He consistently exhibits dedication and vigor in all that he approaches. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the California Scholarship Federation, and an integral part of the Jisan Research Institute. He is a vital member of all that he is a part of. Outside of the classroom, Allen’s passion is for research. He has a brilliant and lightning quick mind; he is a fantastic scientist, one with great charisma and leadership skills. Though he is a year younger than the rest of his class, he is heads and shoulders above them. He has been more than ready for all that a major university has to offer for quite some time. Perhaps one of Allen’s most outstanding characteristics is his independence of thought and his willingness to express those thoughts. In other situations where students-would never speak their minds, he showed no hesitation to voice questions, thoughts, and ideas. He was always an active participant in class discussions, his animated character and controversial positions often being the spark that set off the entire class to an impassioned and heated period of arguing, often with him at the focal point of one side or another. His other qualities are of equal magnitude – his leadership skills came to forefront in group projects where he took charge, assuming the majority of the work and responsibility, ensuring that everything was completed in a timely manner and to his extremely high standards. He also has the ability to take the quiet and shy student and actively engage him or her, transforming that student into an active member of the class. I went out of my way to partner him with other students who needed this kind of attention and encouragement. Another quality that sets him apart from other student leaders is his strength of conviction. He will argue on any topic that has touched a nerve. He breathes with raw, unbridled passion. It is a rare gift in a person of any age; in someone just 16, it is breathtaking. He is honest, never stooping to cheat; he is entertaining, relying on wit, knowledge, and intelligence to persuade. Friends rely on him; he is attentive to their true needs. Teachers enjoy him in their classes. I recommend Allen completely, with no hesitation. He will make his mark and be known. Judith Swift Overall, this letter is very strong. It’s only one page long, but she spends a lot more time on my personal qualities. She writes with her characteristic flair: â€Å"In other situations where students would never speak their minds, he showed no hesitation to voice questions, thoughts, and ideas.† â€Å"controversial positions often being the spark that set off the entire class† â€Å"ability to take the quiet and shy student and actively engage†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ went out of my way to partner him with other students who needed† â€Å"strength of conviction†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ raw, unbridled passion†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ He will argue on any topic that has touched a nerve.† These comments support my personality strongly. I lean more towards an irreverent, straightforwardpersonality, not being afraid to speakmy mind.While this came across in my personal essays and application, an experienced teacher vouching for this adds so much more weight than just my writing it about myself. Again, this impression was built up over a year of her teaching me. It wasn't just one time I stopped by after class. It was continuous participation in class discussions, strong performance throughout the year, and likely observations of me when I didn't know she was even looking. With my two letters in mind, let's end with advice for how you can get the best college rec letters possible. How You Can Get the Best Recommendation Letters from Your Teachers By now, I've repeated my most important advice for you a few times. The important thing is that the advice sticks in, and that you actually practice it. The best recommendation letters for students gush about your personal qualities and why that makes you the promising beacon of the future. You can't trick a teacher into writing a strong letter for you. This is the wrong attitude to have, and most teachers will be able to sniff out insincerity. Don't think that you can just stop by after class three times and get the teacher to be your buddy. Instead, your teacher's impression of you is built up over hundreds of interactions - in class discussions, in group projects, in your homework, during presentations, when arguing about test scores, and even when you think she's not listening. If you honestly like learning and are an enthusiastic, responsible, engaging student, a great recommendation letter will follow naturally. The horse should lead the cart. With all this in mind, here are strategies for how you can build great relationships with your teachers and get super strong letters along the way: Starting sophomore year, identify 2-3 teachers each year you get along with. Have at least one in math/sciences, and another in the other subjects. You won't get letters from all of them, but you do want backups in case your top choice writers don't work out. Prepare well for class discussions, and don't be afraid of sounding dumb. Speak your mind and your teacher will remember it. As a teaching assistantin college and grad school, I can tell you firsthand how annoying it is to ask the class a question and have no one respond. Prep beforehand and show that you're one of the few students who actually cares about learning. In your interactions with teachers, focus on improving yourself and learning, not on getting a better grade.This applies to talking about grading, group projects, and learning what's on a test. Students who grovel for extra points on a test are really annoying. In contrast, students who try to figure out where their weaknesses are and how to improve for the future are really fun to work with. Try to make the teacher's life easier.If you can help the teacher save time, she'll love you for it. This might mean helping out classmates who are struggling, sharing notes with the class, or noticing problems she's having and trying to fix them. This will take sustained effort and energy, but it's the most reliable way to get very strong recommendation letters. Even more, you'll likely have a lot more fun in school, and you'll build a strong relationship with an adult mentor who can teach you a lot. For a lot more detailed advice like this on how to interact with teachers earnestly, check out my How to Get a 4.0 GPA and Better Grades guide. Keep Reading to Build Your College Application Do you like my advice in this guide? Great - I've written a lot more to help you build the strongest college app possible. Want more recommendation letter samples? Check out 4 more excellent recommendation letters from teachers. How to Get a Perfect SAT Score/How to Get a Perfect ACT Score Do you feel like your SAT/ACT score is lower than what your top colleges are looking for? As someone who got a perfect score on the SAT and ACT, I learned important strategies to notice your weaknesses and drill to improve them. Read these guides to boost your SAT/ACT scores. Also, check out my series on getting perfect scores in each of the sections on the SAT/ACT: SAT 800 Series: Reading | Math | Writing ACT 36 Series: English | Math | Reading | Science How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League Aiming for a top school like Harvard, Stanford, Yale, or Ivy League-level schools? Your impression of what they're looking for might be COMPLETELYwrong. In this guide, you'll learn: why collegesexist, and what that means for what students they're looking for why being well-rounded is the path to rejection what an application Spike is, and why it'll get you into every college you apply to how to develop a Spike of your own If you're aiming for top tier colleges, this is a must read for you. How to Get a 4.0 GPA and Better Grades Do you feel like you're struggling to balance a rigorous courseload with good grades? You're not alone - this is a challenge for many high school students nationwide. In this guide, I'll tell you everything I know about how to get good grades. This includes mindset and psychology; study habits you need to have; and individual subject strategies. Even if you're not aiming for a 4.0 GPA, this is well worth the read - you'll learn something that can save you hundreds of hours of study time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: