Student Recommendation Information for Mr.

Viccora

Please provide the following information and answer the questions below. The more
information you provide, the more effective my letter of recommendation will be because it will
reflect you as a student and a person.

1) A list of the schools/scholarships you are applying to with due dates.

UChicago - January 2nd
UVA - January 6th
William and Mary - January 1st
Princeton - January 1st
Vanderbilt - January 1st
Dartmouth - January 2nd
Brown - January 1st
Harvard - January 1st
Yale - January 2nd
Stanford - January 2nd
Pomona - January 8th
UPenn - January 5th
Columbia - January 1st
USC - January 15th
Georgetown - January 10th
Wake Forest - January 1st
WashU St. Louis - January 6th
Johns Hopkins - January 4th
2) Addressed envelopes with stamps for schools NOT using the online Common Application
or some other electronic submission system. (You can provide me with these after school
starts.)

3) A copy of your brag sheet - what do you want them to know about you (or a brief
resume). Include extracurriculars, co-curriculars, special programs in which you participated, offices
you have held, awards and honors you have received, etc. during your high school years.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

4) What do you do outside of school? (e.g., employment, internship, caring for siblings,
participating in church or community groups, etc.)
Fairfax Choral Society, Musical Theater, Babysitting my 4 younger siblings, Track and Field,
Math, English and Music Honor Society, reading, competitive video games i.e. online
tournaments, FACETS volunteer.

5) Your final grade for my class(es).

A
6) What was your favorite era, topic or individual in American history (or Law in Action)
and why?
When thinking back to the 9 periods we had to study this year, the one that sticks out the most
is definitely the Gilded Age. I loved the entire topic of the Gilded Age because the time period
had so much nuanced feelings and developments compared to other periods. One could say
that the Gilded Age had the most conflicting ideas of the time periods; there were a multitude
of contradictions that I always found fascinating. Why was a period of some of the highest
economic growth in American history riddled with an abundance of those economically
depressed? Why were so many great figures called captains of industry or scorned as robber
barons? I also found the idea of a period of time being marked with mediocre achievements
while wrapped in a thin gold foil. Despite this, I always looked to the Gilded Age as a more
inspirational time period. Yes, there was a plethora of political corruption. Yes, there was an
abuse of children and women in labor. Yes, trusts began to dominate industry. However, the
Gilded Age also featured what I think as some of the most important developments in American
history. Railroad development, labor unions forming, the rise of the populist party, the highest
voting turnout in history and expansion of education are all examples of the good done during
this period. All these positive developments and more were the foundational building blocks of
America that would be built upon by some of the greatest presidents of the 20th century.
Another reason I really love the Gilded Age is because I feel that it can apply to my own life. My
life has been marked by ups and downs, from constantly moving to an abusive father, but it's
also marked with loving siblings, close friends and plentiful opportunities. Looking to the Gilded
Age reminds me that I always have multiple perspectives I can take on an issue. I can look at it
in black and white or better yet, I can look at it as a metaphorical brick for the foundation of my
life. Every experience one has in their life is nuanced and can be viewed multiple ways, either
good or bad, but I feel that the most important thing to look at is rather what can you do with
this experience to better oneself for the future. The Gilded Age encapsulates this idea and that
is why it’s my favorite period in American History.

7) What was your favorite activity or assignment and why?

My favorite in class activity was definitely the “meeting of the minds”. I vividly remember our
class dressing up and roleplaying as key characters of the Gilded Age and it helped me to
recognize many of the relationships between each of the figures as well as encouraging me to
think more critically of my own character. So not only was the activity fun to do, but it also
allowed me further my knowledge of the Gilded Age more than if I was just reading a textbook.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

Along with this, I also enjoyed the “speed dating new deal policies” activity we did. The fast
paced nature of the activity forced me to keep up with all the policies and it really helped me
on the unit test where I had to recall which policy did what in a limited amount of time. Overall,
the class activities forced me to think in a different way than I did while taking notes on the
textbook.

8) What you think were your strengths and weaknesses in this class and why?
I think that one of my greatest skills is my organizational and time management skills.
Rarely, if ever, do I turn in an assignment late without an extension. I often find myself road
mapping my entire week, determining where I can make time for this assignment or decide
that this one can wait until the next day. I am constantly aware of what’s due and
how/when I’m going to finish it. While many of my fellow classmates have struggled with
sleep schedules due to studying, I make health a priority and not routinely stay up
excessively late. Turning in work late is the exact opposite of the type of student I’m
striving to be, and it is extremely damaging to my pride. However, pride will not stop me
from asking for an extension if I need one. I understand the importance of quality work and
I know that rushing my work for the sake of just turning it in doesn’t help me grow as a
student. If it ever comes to asking for an extension, I will almost always ask in advance
because I know that teachers usually don’t grant one at the last minute. Due to my
organizational skills and planning ahead, I can usually get one without worry.

Another one of my strengths is that I’m very open-minded and enjoy new experiences and
meeting new people. My youngest sister has a very rare incurable neuromuscular disease.
Her diagnosis at age 2, changed both me and my family’s life and mindset in a very
dramatic manner. I can still remember many of the other families facing similar yet very
different challenges at Make-A-Wish, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and other charity
events. I feel that I had an opportunity to learn and be around other families that have
serious health issues from diverse backgrounds. Due to this, I feel that I’ve always had an
open minded, empathetic and friendly demeanor. I think that people are comfortable
around me because of these traits. Due to this, I made a plethora of new friends this year in
APush where we could all work together to help study for tests, quizzes and one of us
would always be willing to step up and help another student. This was especially helpful in
an intensive class like APush because if you fall behind in the class it’s very difficult to catch
up without the help of others.

One of my weaknesses in APush was my tendency to overcommit myself. I often found

myself staying up much later than usual to help my friends finish their chapter outlines and
presidential notebooks and tutor them on a subject they’re struggling with. I had a difficult
time saying “no” to my friends and sacrificed my own time and health to help them. During
the first semester, and with the influx of exponentially more difficult classes than
sophomore year, I found myself almost consistently staying up past midnight to help guide
my classmates through concepts they were struggling with. I was totally okay with this, and
helping my friends made me happy. However, due to coronavirus, I have found a relatively
abundant amount of freetime. This helped me to see that I was exerting myself way over
my limits. The amount of sleep I have been getting compared to the start of the year is
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

significantly more and the amount of stress I’ve had has diminished substantially. I
recognized that much of this late night tutoring was the reason for some of my poor test
grades. If I stayed up too late I would be too tired to optimally focus in class. The
consequence of that was reflected on some of my tests throughout the year where I
performed considerably worse than what I knew I could’ve done. This was especially
prevalent during DBQ’s and LEQ’s because I found myself crunched for time due to the lack
of focus I would have from a lack of sleep. I know that sometimes I overcommit myself for
others. It’s just really difficult for me to say “no” because I enjoy helping others.

9) Describe how you contributed to the class – use specific examples

I felt that I contributed to the class with both my demeanor and being an example to others. I
know that in a class as difficult as APush that students often become stressed out and that can
contribute to a negative atmosphere in the classroom. I felt that I was a positive influence to
others, often cracking jokes with Bob or Hailey in the seats behind me or helping them out on
test corrections during returns. I felt that I was constantly engaged in class, often raising my
hand to answer questions because I know that a lot of my classmates are shy or just tired
during the first period. I know that lightening the mood in a stressful class can do wonders for
others so I also did my best during group assignments to lessen the load of others. During our
first abode spark group project where we had to make a case for the compromise of 1790, I
took the lead and if someone was struggling with using the program or felt they had too much
information to sift through, I would step in and help them out. Overall, I felt that I always did
my best to help out my classmates academically while also helping to lighten the load of stress.

10) Discuss how you maintained engagement in APUSH/Law in Action during the school
closure through the end of the year. What special challenges did you face/overcome during this
period?
With the unexpected arrival of Corona I became very worried about my capability to score well
on the AP test. A two month juncture between the closing of schools and the test made me
realize that I had to double down on my studying especially because I had an influx of time to
do so. I found myself rewatching Adam Norris videos and rereading my chapter outlines almost
on a daily basis. However, I found it somewhat difficult to balance my new responsibilities as
one of the oldest siblings in my family of 8 during these tough times. On a daily basis I was
walking close to 4 miles to pick up food for my family at the local food distribution center. My
family is very heavily dependent on child support and without the reduced cost of lunches at
school it was difficult to budget correctly for enough food. Despite this, I did my job as a sibling
and as a son while also doing my best as a student. I knew there was a good chance that the
college board would focus on one of the middle units so I focused my studying on that. The
expansion of democracy, the leadup to the civil war, the civil war itself, reconstruction and the
Gilded Age were all topics I heavily focused on. In the days leading up to the test I found myself
falling asleep to John Green’s familiar crash course videos and by the day of the test I had all my
cheat sheets laid out on my desk ready to knock the test out of the park. Overall, I felt that I did
my best to study efficiently for the test while also fulfilling my responsibilities for my family.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

11) What three words describe you the best?

(A). Determined. My determination to reach my goals and will to use whatever resources
at my disposal. I strive to be better wherever I can, especially in areas in which I’m
struggling. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons I took your course this year. In AP World
last year I found myself constantly struggling with writing LEQs. It seemed no matter what
I did, I always struggled to write one. I told myself that this year I would improve myself
and improve my grade, and in the end I was able to attain my goal of acing a LEQ. I was
ecstatic to know that all my extra Adam Norris videos, my Khan academy lessons and
conferencing with other classmates did not go to waste. Not only for the LEQs, but I would
also consistently make corrections to my tests, making sure that I knew why I got the
question wrong to make sure I didn’t make the same mistake on another test. In the end, I
ended AP World with an A and was very satisfied with all the work I put in to get there.

This also occurs in my other class, choir. While not traditional in the academic sense, many
would be surprised into what goes into creating beautiful music. Everyone loves the
concerts, but nobody except the singers see the hours of work we put in, both inside of
school during the class, but also independent study outside of class. Many of my friends
would make fun of me for using almost every return period for practicing music. They tell
me that I spend too much time individually when the choir is a collective group. While they
are not wrong, what strong is the collective if the individuals aren’t contributing? I’m
always determined to do my best, even if everyone in the group isn’t doing the same. I feel
that if I set the example, others will follow suit. However, working independently can only
go so far. As I found both my history and choir work increasing in difficulty, along with
other school courses, I realized that I can’t always rely solely on myself and really
discovered the value of teamwork which I’ve grown to value more and more. I found myself
in the latter half of the year asking for more help from my classmates, but more
importantly my teachers. I feel that this trait is important because it shows initiative and
the extent to which I’m willing to go to succeed. I feel that this is even more pertinent to
college because they have an even larger amount of resources at hand, ones that I will most
certainly utilize. At the same time, I always hope to help others in any way I can.

(B). Resilient. I greet adversity and make it my friend. Many people tend to shy away from
adversity and stick to their status quo. While I, at times, have done just that in the past, I’ve
definitely learned the importance of facing adversity. My life has been full of hardships, but
these hardships have shaped the person that I am today. The adversities I’ve faced from my
manipulative father and parents’ divorce were something I struggled with for years, but
have allowed me to grow in ways others simply can’t. Facing these adversities have shown
in my school life. Previously I might’ve said no to trying out Track and Field in my junior
year, but I decided to go for it anyway. Since then, track has become one of the mainstays of
my life and running is a newfound joy of mine.

Of course, I also welcome academic challenges. Moving to Virginia before my sophomore

year was very difficult. I loved my school, friends, and life in Minnesota. However, I decided
to make the best of a situation I had no control over and have grown to appreciate my new
hometown and opportunities at school.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

I’ve been taking the highest level courses available to me since middle school and I feel that
school would be extremely stale if I took lower level classes. Currently I’m taking the
highest level of virtually every single subject eligible to me. I’m in AP Calculus, AP US
History, AP English Language, AP Economics, Honors Physics and Vocal Ensemble (a small
group of auditioned singers). These classes are all quite difficult and collectively cause me
quite a bit of stress, but it is for that reason that I feel all the more pride when I know I put
forth my best effort. When I see an “A” next to my report card, I know I worked hard to
achieve it. It wouldn’t be the same if I was taking lower level courses. It’s due to the
challenging nature of the courses that I’m able to to feel pride in the work I put in. I feel that
colleges are looking for hardworking students who don’t take the easiest path available to
them in highschool. I think that it’s important for colleges to recognize that I’m the type of
student to embrace challenges, even if I don’t always get the “A”.

(C). Adaptable. I believe that I’m an adaptable person both inside and outside of the
classroom. I enjoy the freedom of doing work on my own, but I’m always open to working
with others. I’m always doing my part and willing to pick up the slack when necessary. I get
along very well with my classmates and easily meld into group situations. The same applies
to social situations. I can recognize when the atmosphere is tense as not to say anything
inappropriate and on the same token, when it’s a little more light hearted, I’m always
equipped with one or two jokes. I think that it’s important for colleges to see what type of
person I am both inside and outside of the classroom.

12) What are your best qualities as a person?

My empathy. My sister was born with incurable neuromuscular disease and when she was
diagnosed at the age of 2, both my family and my mindset were fundamentally changed. I had
multiple opportunities to meet with other families through the muscular dystrophy association
and had the opportunity to learn from families with diverse backgrounds. I feel that this quality
is all the more important in today’s world especially with the protests going around the country
at this time. The need for empathy is much needed in a world with so much hate, inequality
and needless tragedies. I don’t know what everyone is going through, I certainly didn’t with the
families I met through the muscular dystrophy association, but I do know that the quality of
being empathetic is not only a gift to have, but also an upcoming necessity in today’s world.

Another one of my best qualities is my resilience. From a young age I’ve experienced a
multitude of hardships that I couldn’t even recognize at the time. I grew up in a household that
fostered fear, anger and abuse. My father’s actions conditioned me to believe that hiding in
your closest while your parents were fighting was a normal action to take. He taught me that
fear was a crippling disease. I grew up in that household for 13 years before my family broke
free from him. As I grew older I could’ve let myself wallow in remembrance of my childhood.
Why wasn’t my dad normal? Why don’t my parents love each other? Why am I so scared of
him? These are all questions I could’ve burdened myself with. Instead, I choose to be someone
who moves forward and not be stuck in the past. My younger sister is a shining example of this.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

She had to endure the same childhood as me while also battling an incurable disease and
despite both of these setbacks, she is one of the most kind and optimistic people I know. She
never complains and she focuses on what makes her happy, and I remind myself everyday to
strive to be more like her. She has taught me to look for the good in everything even when
things don’t ever seem to be going my way.

Another one of my best qualities is my dependability. Growing up as the third oldest in a family
of 7 kids it wouldn’t seem as though I have many jobs. After all, I have two older siblings.
However, both of my older siblings went to boarding school in Hawaii and I was left to look
after my 4 younger siblings at just the age of 12. Many would find themself overrun by the
sheer exhaustion of 4 younger siblings, and I often found myself exacerbated at the amount of
energy I spent looking after them. Cleaning the house, making sure we had dinner on the table,
helping them with homework, and putting them to sleep while also balancing my own
schoolwork and extra curriculars was an enormous task. Despite this seemingly arduous task, I
found that it made me a better person both in school and outside of school. I learned the value
of being someone people can depend on. Once you see your siblings crying because they’re
hungry due to the lack of food, you would do anything to make sure they’re never hurt again. I
made it my goal to be a student who could be relied upon both by teachers and by my fellow
students. The type of student who would always complete their work on time, the type of
student who would always be ready to answer a question even if he’s working and the type of
student to always be willing to spend his time helping out a classmate. I pride myself on being a
dependable person and that pride has shaped who I am both as a student and as a person.
13) What academic and career plans do you have?
Unlike many other students who have a dream college and career, I haven’t put much
thought into career goals because I want to remain open minded when I go to college. I find
it difficult to think of one specific thing I want to do in the future. However, if I really think
about the courses I’ve enjoyed, I think I’d like to study humanities and social sciences and
possibly go into business or attend law school.

My older sister has been enjoying a multitude of internships during her college experience
and has nothing negative to say about them. In fact, when my sister talks about her
experience, I feel that it would be something I would enjoy. Analyzing data, working by the
book and seeing a tangible result. All those things call to me as a person. I’ve read many
stories of self made businessmen succeeding and reading about the circumstances in which
their business grew to thrive. These stories inspire me to do something similar. Create
something through my own effort and see it grow to fruition. Although such a grandiose
idea is far away, the first step would be learning the in’s and out’s of business and college
offers the best way of expanding my horizons.

I also am considering eventually going to law school. The effects of injustice in family court
continues to negatively affect me, my siblings, and mother. It is a tragedy how people like
my father with greater financial resources abuse the legal system to continue to harass and
inflict harm on their victims. Protective orders are supposed to protect victims. But, people
like my father are able to negotiate plea deals and get their criminal records expunged. I
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

would love to help those affected by domestic violence and other difficult situations
navigate the family court system.

I also hope to discover new facets of myself in college. I’ve been challenging myself every
year in high school because I enjoy pushing myself to the best of my abilities. I am excited
about the multitude of options and flexibility college will offer. I’m hoping that once I reach
college, I’ll be able to expand myself as a student academically, as well as a person in
different extracurriculars that I wasn’t able to participate in during high school for various
reasons. I hope that these opportunities will allow me to make new connections in my
communities. In the end, I want these connections and experiences to help me discover
what I truly want to accomplish in life both career wise, as an individual, and as a
responsible citizen in my community.

14) Please indicate anything you would like mentioned or emphasized in your
recommendation.
Just by helping colleges recognize who I am as both a student and a person, both inside and
outside (if possible) the classroom. I know you haven’t seen me outside of the classroom,
especially due to corona, but every little bit counts.

15) Final Points: I’m especially looking for what you think are your strengths as a student
and a person. Colleges will look at your GPA, SAT/ACT and AP scores and your transcript to
assess your performance and potential as a student. My job is to convince them that you are a
very good to exceptional student and quality person based on your contributions to class
discussions and activities, your work habits and effort, your impact on the class and your fellow
students, your impact on the school community, and your attitude. Essentially, what is it about
you as a student or individual that might set you apart from other applicants? What
characteristics, experiences, skills or intangibles will make you a success in college? How and
why would the college benefit from you being part of the college, campus, and community?

**Considering these final points and to help me prepare a top-notch letter of recommendation,
please write a brief paragraph describing yourself as a student and as a person.

Sometimes in life it’s important to look back and see the big picture. With all the commitments
one has, it’s easy to lose sight of “the me”. Whether it’s a mother trying to support a family of 7
while balancing court battles or a student with the pressure of sports, clubs and friends. Where
is the time for the exploration of hobbies, interests and self discovery to name a few? Where is
the time to discover who “the me” really is.

Back in freshman year I like to think of myself as a blank video game cartridge. My life was like
New York at night, bright, vibrant and full of energy. I became completely focused on filling my
cartridge with as much data as possible. I proudly reached goals that defined a student.
Straight A’s: check, volunteer work: check, clubs: check. Am I forgetting anything? Friends,
sleep, food, time.. does anybody need it? It turns out the answer was me.
 Student Recommendation Information for Mr. Viccora

In this busy life, I found that my cartridge was getting too worn out, stretched thin by the
demands of life. By the end of my sophomore year I decided it was time to wipe my save slot
clean. My cartridge would be empty, but this time I would be filling it up with data that I
wanted, not what was expected of me by my parents or teachers.

Junior year I became my own game developer. I dropped theater for newfound interests such
as track, math honor society and english honor society. I chose volunteer work that actually
interested me and it felt like my game was all coming together. With a less cluttered game,
there was so much more focus on “the me”.

Newfound interests dominated my life while I was also able to keep the original data from my
old activities such as choir, both inside and outside of school. However, I was able to add new
ones such as track, cross country and became a more outgoing person. I was passionate about
what I did and became more effective in what I did. Stepping back and looking at the big picture
I found myself realizing that I started making choices that were important to me, and not to
others. I was able to develop my own game even if others only saw it as a mish mash of code.

The building up of “the me” is a lifelong progress that never stops. Some days I’ll be adding lines
upon lines of code and other I’ll just be taking the day off. Sometimes by choosing the data of
the catridge more carefully, you’re able to add a newfound depth to the game that defines “the
me”. Whether I choose to make my game a peaceful farming simulator, or a fast paced
dungeon crawler or a card game, I know that I will be a game developer who defines “the me”.