To whom it may concern:

I am writing to recommend Maisie Meton for admission to your institution. I have known Maisie since
the summer of 2015, when she was enrolled in Duke Universitys Talent Identification Program (TIP).
Maisie was one of fifteen very bright and enthusiastic students in my course, Political Cultures and
Countercultures: The Battle for Public Opinion. Like many of her instructors, I was initially struck by
her confidence and social acumen, especially among diverse groups of exceptionally intelligent peers. Her
scholarly potential soon emerged as the class engaged complex works ranging from ancient Greek tragedy
and antebellum American poetry to poststructuralist French philosophy and postcolonial psychoanalysis.
No matter the subject, Maisies insightful analysis and penetrating questions consistently deepened the
level of class discourse. Given her performance in my class, I think she will enhance the intellectual and
social climate of your institution and I fully recommend her for admission.
Of Maisies many strengths, I think two qualities will make her an especially strong candidate for
admission to your institution. First, Maisie is a naturally collaborative learner who not only demonstrates
a great capacity for leadership, but who also works well under the direction of her peers. After reading
and discussing Sophocles Antigone, Platos Apology and selections from Foucaults Discipline and
Punish, for instance, I asked the students to produce their own short play about tensions between leaders
and dissidents. Though a talented performer, Maisie did not put herself in the starring role of her groups
presentation; rather, she acted in a supporting role while offering stage direction to other students, thereby
bringing their talents to the fore. I saw her adopt a similar position at the end of the summer when she
directed several dozen students in a camp-wide performance. Both performances were as entertaining as
they were insightful, provoking a good deal of soul-searching among the TIP staff and administrators who
attended.
Maisies second great strength lies in her empathy and intuitive commitment to social justice. During our
discussions of income inequality, housing discrimination, and gender-based violence, Maisie was, like
most students, deeply moved by particular examples of unjust policies. What set her apart from the rest of
the class, however, was her ability to extrapolate broader philosophical points about justice from the
particular cases we studied. For example, her reading of Fanons Wretched of the Earth explicated themes
about social alienation that were as perceptive as any I heard in senior college seminars on the topic.
Maisie not only comprehends the relationship between discrimination and harm, but feels it. Frankly, even
talented high school students rarely comprehend the larger points that thinkers like Plato, Foucault and
Fanon are trying to make. Any such student who naturally comprehends and is motivated by their work is
special, indeed. Maisie is such a student.
With the exception of summers working with Duke TIP, I have spent my entire professional life in higher
education. I have taught at a variety of institutions ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large
research universities, and have had the fortune to work with many talented and promising college students
over the past thirteen years. I rank Maisie among the most promising of their number. If she is applying to
your institution, I know that she has done so with care and attention to how she will grow within your
community. Your institution would be lucky to have her.

Sincerely,
Joshua Miller
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
University of North Carolina at Charlotte