Every recommendation letter is unique, just like the student it is written for. Yet, good recommendation letters share similarities in format and expression. Below is a sample/template showing one way of organizing a recommendation letter for graduate study. Show In this particular example, the emphasis is on the student's academic work. The letter begins by explaining the context in which the student is known, followed by details of the work that forms the basis for the writer's recommendation. It is the details that count. December 19, 201x Dr. Smith Dear Dr. Smith, I am writing to you in support of Mr. Stu Student and his desire to attend Graduate School University for the Basket Weaving program. Though many students ask me to make this request on their behalf, I only recommend candidates who I feel are well-suited for the program of their choice. Mr. Student is one of those students and I am convinced he will contribute very positively to your university. As a professor of the Basket Weaving Department at Undergrad University, I work with many students who have substantial knowledge of basket weaving. Mr. Student has consistently shown such a strong desire and competence in learning basket weaving that I simply could not turn down his request for a recommendation. I first met Mr Student in my Intro to Basket Weaving course during the Fall 2012 semester. Compared to the class average of 70, Mr. Student earned a 96 in the class. The coursework was predominantly evaluated on [explain basis for grades, e.g., exams, papers, etc.], in which he performed exceptionally well. Stu is an outstanding individual with a strong character. He has the ability to produce impressive results in a wide variety of areas. Stu is/has [list of positive traits/skills, e.g. organized, motivated, etc.]. I have seen astonishing results on the complex projects that required great attention to detail and the quality was never compromised. Additionally, he has a very positive attitude and truly embraces learning all there is to know about basket weaving. Though Stu has consistently exceeded in all areas of his coursework, the best example of his intelligence shone through a [paper/presentation/project/etc.] on theories of basket weaving. The work clearly showed his ability to deliver a clear, concise, and well-thought presentation with a new perspective by demonstrating [embellish here]. In addition to his coursework, Stu also dedicated some of his time volunteering at [Club or Organization Name]. His position required him to [list of tasks]. He felt volunteering was an important leadership role, in which he learned [list of skills]. The skills acquired through volunteering will be beneficial to all of Stu's future endeavors. Stu has the ability to manage and organize his time and schedule around different activities without having them interfere with his schoolwork. I believe Stu is destined to be a leader in basket weaving and therefore is an excellent candidate for your school. I highly recommend that you consider his application, as he will be a great asset to your program. I'm sure you will find him to be a student whose talents will only grow. If you would like further information, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Tea Cher, Ph.D.
Updated June 29, 2022 A recommendation letter for graduate school is a written endorsement of a graduate school candidate that is submitted with the application. Recommendations should be written by professional or academic contacts who really know the applicant and can offer a credible perspective. The letter should be brief and positive, and it should use specific examples when possible.
What to IncludeThe point with this letter is not simply to sing the applicant’s praises. Everyone has good qualities, but only some are cut out for graduate school. The recommendation should make an argument for why the aspiring student will be successful in the targeted program. Also include:
Whenever possible, claims should be supported by specific examples. It is easy to state that someone is intelligent or conscientious, but more meaningful to show the strength of an applicant through anecdotes from the workplace or classroom. Who to Select?Applicants will need 2 to 4 letters of recommendation to support their graduate school application. The best choices for writing these letters will be professors, supervisors, mentors, managers, and employers of the candidate. The person writing the letter should be able to draw upon a reasonably long relationship to illustrate the applicant’s aptitudes, work habits, and personal character. A professor or mentor can easily assess the candidate’s academic qualities and scholastic temperament, while a manager or employer may be able to reference a long working relationship to vouch for their character. How to Write (Format)A graduate school letter of recommendation should fill at least an entire page (usually 400 – 600 words) and contain a letterhead, an introduction, up to 4 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. LetterheadThe following information pertaining to the letter’s author should be included at the top left-hand corner of the page:
IntroductionThe introduction simply states who is writing the letter to whom, and who the candidate is that the author is writing on behalf of. This paragraph only needs to be 2-4 sentences in length.
In this example a university professor is writing on behalf of a student and they emphasize that they only recommend students who are suitable candidates for their program of choice. By insisting that they do not take the matter of submitting a letter of recommendation lightly, they have made their recommendation more convincing.
This sample is written from the point-of-view of a work manager and includes the period of time in which the candidate has worked with this employer, as well as some of their positive attributes. Because this information is included in the introduction it will necessitate that more personal reflections and specific examples be included in the body of the letter. Relationship to the CandidateNext, the author will need to describe the context in which they know the student, and for how long. Describing the length of time that the author has known the student and the nature of their relationship will add weight to the attestations of the student’s positive attributes that follow this section. In terms of length, this paragraph should be composed of 3-6 straightforward sentences.
Here, a professor uses to comparison and personal observations to highlight that the candidate is an outstanding student. They also detail the length of time that they have known the student.
The author in this example describes their first meeting with the student. By doing this, they are saying that the student is memorable, while at same time specifying how long they have known the student. They emphasize the student’s academic performance and provide positive examples of the candidate’s personal attributes (to be expanded on in the next section). Candidate’s AttributesAfter describing the author’s relationship to the student, the next paragraph(s) will illustrate the student’s competencies and positive attributes in what will provide the main body of the letter. This section should include positive descriptions of the student’s work habits, character, and sense of responsibility. Only one paragraph is necessary for this section of the letter, however it could run up to 3 paragraphs in length depending how much detail the author chooses to include.
In the above example, an employer uses a specific instance to illustrate the candidate’s positive qualities. It describes how the applicant exceeded the employer’s expectations and used their problem-solving skills in performing a task.
This longer example has a lab supervisor using multiple examples to demonstrate the candidate’s positive character, academic talent, school involvement, and ability to perform within their chosen field. By showing their understanding of the demands of a given field of study, their recommendation will be taken more seriously. ConclusionThe concluding paragraph should summarize and reaffirm the author’s recommendation for the applicant and it should include a preferred method of contact. This paragraph only needs to be 2-4 sentences in length. The author will also need to hand sign their signature beneath the conclusion in order to authenticate the letter.
In this simple example, a professor describes the continuous improvement that the candidate has shown and states their belief that the student will flourish in the indicated graduate program. They have also included their preferred method of contact in the body of their concluding paragraph.
Here, we have an employer that concludes their letter by expressing the value that the candidate has brought to their team and has provided their preferred contact at the bottom of the page. If the author includes their contact information in the letterhead, then it will not be necessary for them to put it in the conclusion as well. Sample 1
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