A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR)

What Is a Letter of Recommendation?

A letter of recommendation (LOR) is a reference letter that contains important information about a student’s character, school performance, educational qualifications, abilities, skills and talents. Generally, a teacher or a school principal will write the letter to prove their students’ capabilities and support their academic or career aspirations. 

Having a LOR is usually crucial when a student wants to go abroad for further studies or wishes to take up a foreign job position. Aside from the requirements of a foreign college or company, the immigration authorities usually ask to see such recommendation letters.

Generically, an ideal letter of recommendation should contain a word count of 300 to 400. In addition, a perfect letter should highlight your weakness, strength, achievements, the experience of the faculty and or an employer and your actual conduct. Notably, a note should remember the type of association that the recommender has and the tenure of your association. 

 A professional Recommendation is one that you get from your past or present employer. In case you are currently working, it is suggested that you get at least 1 out of 3 letters from your employer.

Consider taking a letter of recommendation from an employer only if you have worked for at least three months with the organisation.

Keeping that in mind, a Letter of Recommendation differs from a Statement of Purpose. Therefore, it should not merely be a copy of a Statement of Purpose but should showcase your personality and focus on your progress, academic achievements, projects undertaken, etc.

Tips about how to write a letter of recommendation for a student:

Referee:

• Must be qualified for a recommending you
• Must have taught you a subject that is relevant to your Masters
• Should be eligible to attest and warrant your credibility
• Should have sufficient time to invest in submitting your letter to the University

Write a customized letter

Consider crafting a new letter for each recommendation. That way, you can customize each letter with specific details about the student you are recommending. For instance, you can include some of their skills and qualifications that are relevant to the job they are applying to. You can still use a template if you want to. But be sure to customize your letter every time.

Review the student’s educational details

For a college application, ask for the course details and requirements. After reviewing the student’s academic records and their performance in extracurricular activities, read their college application letter and personal essay. For a job reference, review their resume and cover letter.

Compare the student’s information with the college course or job requirements and consider how you might tailor it to highlight their suitability for the college or the job. Ask the student why they are applying to a particular course or job. This can assist you in forming your perspective for the recommendation letter.

Find out whom to address

Ask the student for the name and title of the person you will write to and their role in the college or job application process. Knowing whom you are addressing in your letter of recommendation will enable you to personalize the letter in a way they will appreciate. College recommendation letters are typically for the programme director, the admissions counselor or the college admission office. To recommend a job candidate, you typically write to the department head, the hiring manager or the company’s HR department.

If your student wants to use the recommendation letter for multiple colleges or companies, write a generalized letter and include relevant attributes that will work everywhere.

Begin with a personal introduction

Start the letter of recommendation by introducing yourself and explaining why you are qualified to vouch for the student. Provide details of your job title, the subject or course you teach, your years of teaching experience and the timeframe you taught the student. If you never taught them but associated with them for extracurricular activities like sports, theatre, music and so on, make that clear.

Explain your educational relationship with the student

Discuss how well you know the student through your interactions in the classroom or during extracurricular activities. Provide your general impression of the student, including their character, behavior and abilities. Go into detail about how they impressed you with their hard work, attention to detail, ethical behavior, helpful nature and so on.

Provide details of the student’s qualifications

The letter recipient will use your recommendation letter to decide whether the student will be an asset to their college or company. For instance, a college admissions counselor is likely to want applicants who score in academics, participate in extracurricular activities and have an enthusiastic outlook. Such students will be more likely to sign up for college clubs, organisations and activities and be academically oriented and socially responsible. A company hiring manager too, will want a candidate who will be hard-working, reliable and ethical.

To highlight these qualities in your recommendation letter, detail the positive contributions your student made in school. Depending on the student, you can write:

1. If they did well in academics and sports
2. If they held any leadership positions, such as class monitor, school head, club president or sports captain
3. If they participated in individual and group projects
4. If they excelled in public speaking and presentations
5. If they did any volunteer work
6. If they were members of the school club or other organisations
7. If they received awards and recognition in local, national or international competitions

End your letter on a positive note

At the end of the letter, reiterate your confidence in your student’s character and abilities and assure the letter recipient that they will be a valuable addition to their college or company. Inform them of your readiness to answer any questions that the recipient might have about the student. Include your contact details, such as your email, your phone number and the hours in which you will be available. Such personal endorsement will show the recipient that you fully support your student, and they will consider that when they make their selection decision.

A One step solution for a LETTER of RECOMMENDATION!

While the Admission Committee is all pooled up with thousands of application request coming their way, a letter of recommendation can be considered as a token that holds a lot of importance and gives you an edge over other applicants. Along with this strong component in a student’s application, there also is another major role player – a Statement of Purpose!

A recommendation letter is a Professional Testament that allows an Admission Officer to get an insight of how you are from a Professor’s and or an Employers perspective. Not only that, this letter is capable enough to demonstrate a students’ technical, academic, co curricular as well as extra curricular achievements and background.

Selecting a recommender is as critical as a MS. Dhoni hitting a six in the World Cup!

A recommender should have following:

• Must be qualified for recommending you
• Must have taught you a subject that is relevant to your Masters
• Should be eligible to attest and warrant your credibility
• Should have sufficient time to invest in submitting your letter to the University

Following factors should be kept in mind while approaching your Professors:

#1 How well the Professor knows you?

How well has the Professor noticed you? What if you did not belong to top rankers in the class? Regardless of everything else, while you think of selecting a Professor, it is extremely important for you to consider whether or not the Professor knows you. Has the Professor noticed you during the tenure of the semester? Also, keep well in mind that these Professors might have to put in a bit extra efforts will upload a letter of recommendation for you.

#2 Is the Professor qualified to grant a recommendation?

Suppose you have a very good rapport with the Professor but he/she has not taught you any subject or you have not even worked under his/her guidance during college events or projects. In that case, the Professor might not be eligible to recommend you.

Considering the eligibility of the Professor to recommend you for a program at any University is of utmost importance.

#3 Is it recommended to get a letter from an Employer?

It is not a mandatory requirement to get a recommendation from President or a top notch managerial positioned employee. You can also take a letter from your Reporting Manager, Supervisor, Team Leader or Project Manager.

Having said that, a student can get a Letter of Recommendation under following categories:

Academic Recommendation

It is a recommendation letter which is granted by the Professor of your present or past colleges.  Most of the Universities have a requirement of 3 Letter of Recommendations. In such cases, you can opt for 2 out of 3 letters from a college professor (for working Professionals).

In case if you belong to a non working Professional group, you can take all the 3 letters from your College Professors. The content of each letter varies and is distinct depending on the experience the Professor has with you.

Professional Recommendation is one that you get from your past or present employer. In case, if you are currently working, it is suggested that you should get atleast 1 out of 3 letters from your employer.

Also, consider taking a letter of recommendation from an employer only if you have worked alteast for a period of 3 months with the organization.

Content:

Generically, an ideal letter of recommendation should contain a word count of 300 to 400. An ideal letter should highlight your weakness, strength, achievements, experience of the faculty and or an employer and also basic conduct that you possess. Importantly, a letter should unforgettably mention the type of association that the recommender has and the tenure of your association.

Keeping that in mind, a Letter of Recommendation is different from a Statement of Purpose. It should not merely be a copy of a Statement of Purpose but should showcase the kind of personality you posses, should also focus on the progress that you have made, academic achievements, projects undertaken and so on.

Quick pointers that one should keep in mind while drafting a Recommendation are as follows:              

1. Tenure & Nature of association with the student
2. Subjects taught by the recommender
3. Academic highlights
4. Co curricular & extra curricular involvement
5. Interpersonal skills
6. Projects undertaken
7. Factors that makes a student potential enough for getting an admit in the University

Remember, these letters play a very vital role in making your applications noticeable. Making a smart and wise choice would surely help your application process a smooth journey!

 

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