"Fronting" a counselor letter

[yvonne]

I was reading this blog by an admissions person, posted in another thread, and the idea of "fronting" in a counselor letter (and app) jumped out at me. By "fronting," he simply means putting the most important point/s first, which is probably standard, except for those of us who tend to build from least to most important when we write.

 

But then, he also talks about bullet pointing, bolding, or italicizing your main points as desirable & helpful for app readers.

 

Has anyone done a counselor letter where they perhaps bullet point their main points at the beginning and then explain each further in paragraphs below?

Or bolded the main points where they appeared in the paragraphs?

 

As a primarily pragmatic person, I know _I_ would appreciate that if I had to read hundreds of apps in 8-10 mins.  It makes sense to me, but maybe it would be too odd?

[regentrude]

I didn't use bullet points or bolded font, but my introductory paragraph was a brief summary of the main points, and the rest of the letter contained further supporting information that was wrapped up in a brief conclusion. So basically the format of an expository essay. Skimming intro and end would have worked.

I don't find the suggestion very good, because a letter is not a resume and not a collection of facts, but a nuanced piece of writing that paints a multi faceted picture. I don't write professional lor's in this format either and have never come across anybody who does.

Edited October 29, 2017 by regentrude

[JanetC]

My letter is narrative and couldn't be bullet pointed even if I wanted it to be.

 

However, if I were a high school counselor trying to write 150 of these each fall, including for kids I don't know well, I'd be tempted to use bullet lists for sure!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I saw that article and decided that, yes, it is good to have the gist up front.  But bullet points are beyond the pale.  It's not a powerpoint, it's a letter, for goodness' sake.  I am almost done with dd's.  It has been an agonizing letter to write ... mostly because the closer I got to finishing it, the closer she gets to leaving.  I am having so much trouble with that.