How to Write a Student Testimonial

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Here are three qualities that every truly fantastic testimonial includes.

Tags: campus-life, college-student

We take student testimonials for granted. When we first decide to go to a specific college, we will read stories about current and previous students to get insights into their experiences. Whether you sought them out or if they were included in marketing campaigns during your application process, you probably learned something about your college from these testimonials.

These testimonials don't happen automatically! Many colleges and universities will solicit current students and recent graduates to write up these stories. Sometimes they come in targeted emails or it may be by personal request, but a lot of colleges will have a page dedicated to these stories so that admissions teams can use the resource. It's a great way for colleges to get real experience and for you to share your story.

Chances are you will be asked to write about your experience at some time during your college experience. Even though many people may submit this material, it is unclear how to exactly write a testimonial. What is your college looking for? What exactly makes a 'good' testimonial?

Here are three qualities that every truly fantastic testimonial includes. Apply these three things, including your spin, and you're sure to be featured on your university's home page!

Qualities of a Stellar Testimonial

Relationship:

It should be clear what your relationship with the school is. Someone who doesn't know you should read what you wrote and easily know that you graduated from the university. You could also choose to include additional information such as what your degree was in and what year you graduated in addition to talking about what you learned.

Focus on the School/Degree Program:

You can go into specifics about your experience. Did you like the food from the cafeteria? Who was your favorite professor? What class did you learn the most from? How is your career outlook post-graduation? Where was your favorite place to hang out with friends on campus? Talk about the things that made your experience at this university unique and relevant for someone looking to attend the college. You want someone reading what you wrote to glean important information after reading your testimonial.

Provide Specific Examples:

While the first two qualities make you stand out, providing specific examples makes your testimonial truly exceptional. You should not go into copious details about every little thing, but choose one or two topics that you are most passionate about and provide details. Tell future students very specific details about a class, a fun story that describes your experience, or one strategy that you implemented at college that helped you succeed. These unique details to your story will make your story shine!

The Good, The Bad, and the In-Between

Now that you know what a good testimonial should include, how exactly is this applied? Take a look at the testimonial below:

"It was great! I learned a lot throughout my experience, and everyone was super nice!"

Besides its obvious brevity, the above testimonial lacks any real information that makes it particularly helpful. Even though the review is glowing, it doesn't tell you anything about the school, the people there, or how the university helps you attain your goals. You could copy and paste this review for a hundred different colleges and no one would notice.

An outstanding review includes pertinent details that make it stand out. It should be clear that you attended the university based on the information that you provide. For example, take a look at the review below:

"It was great! My Research Methods course taught by Professor Smith was challenging but taught me invaluable skills that aid me in my current role as a research assistant. I formed lifelong friendships with my cohort that started from MAT 101 that lasted to NUR 600!"

Although the information is the same as in the first testimonial, it includes vital details about courses, professors, and course outcomes. While it isn't a perfect or even a great testimonial, someone researching your college will get more information from the latter testimonial than the original generic one.

Negative Review

"Okay," you're thinking, "all this is fine and good, but what about if I had a negative experience? I want to warn future students about the bad things that happened to me! Am I only allowed to talk about good things?"

Negative reviews tend to get buried while negative testimonials may never be published. Understandably, colleges don't want potential students to be turned off by the university because of negative feedback, so they tend to put their best foot forward. If you write an angry tirade about your experience, chances are, your story won't fully see the light of day. Does that mean that I shouldn't say anything bad? Certainly not!

The trick to getting your voice heard is to equally balance your negative news with positive or hopeful comments. Let's look at two examples:

"The University is the worst! I had no support as I struggled through college courses, and people were unsympathetic. They told me I'm on my own! For the overwhelming price of this college, you are getting a horrible education. A year after graduation, I'm still looking for work!"

"I had a lot of struggles during my education. While I had to fend for myself, I learned how to be independent and discovered my inner strength. Someone at the college told me I was on my own, but instead of bringing me down, I plowed through and graduated. A year after graduation, I am still looking for work, but I haven't given up yet! If I could go back, I may have chosen another college, but I am proud of myself for succeeding even if I didn't feel supported!"

As you may have noticed, both reviews are negative and state the same thing, however, the second review has a better chance of being featured. Instead of focusing on the horrible things that happened to them, they instead focus on the positive aspects they drew from the experience. While the testimonial still probably won't be featured in a prominent place on a university website, there is a chance that it will have a wider reach than the blatantly angry first testimonial.

Now that you have these tips and skills in mind, you have all the tools you need to create a unique and vibrant testimonial. I'm looking forward to seeing yours featured!

Jessica Dickenson

Jessica Dickenson graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with degrees in English and communication. She has applied her abilities working as a young marketing professional for a local university but works as a freelance writer and photographer in her spare time. She currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband.

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