LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION The letter of recommendation is a statement issued by the recommender which is usually your college professors, Head of the Department, Project-Guide or your superior if you are working. Most universities send Recommendation forms which are supposed to be filled by the recommender if possible. The form contains a few qualities and a scale on which each quality is measured. The recommender will usually ask you to evaluate yourself and prepare a rough draft. The recommender will then make the changes and now you can get the final copies of the letter. The recommender's designation and qualifications are very important and it should be mentioned at the end of the letter. If you have recommendation letters from someone who has taught in the US it will be a plus point for you. Please note that all the recommendation letters have to be sealed by the professor / employer (basically the recommender) and typed out on the letterhead of the college or the professor / employer. Make sure to inform the recommender that the university may call him up and inquire about you. Please note that universities do actually call up the recommender many a time. The following are some of the tips for the recommender. The student can use them when he is preparing the rough draft. In fact, you can pass these tips on to your recommenders in case they don't know what to say and don't ask you to say it. 10 Tips for Recommenders 1. Review a copy of the applicant's personal statement or application essays so that your letter of recommendation can dovetail with--not conflict with or duplicate--the rest of the application. 2. Ask the applicant to supply you with additional information like a résumé. 3. Describe your qualifications for comparing the applicant to other applicants. I have been teaching for twenty years and have advised approximately 450 students on independent research projects over the last five years. I have personally supervised ten interns every summer for the last five years plus worked with over two hundred college graduates in my capacity as trainer for Big Bank Corp. 4. Discuss how well you know the applicant. I was able to get to know Mr. Doe because he made it a point to attend two of my sections every week when only one was required. Ms. Smith reported directly to me for two years prior to her well-deserved promotion to the position of Assistant Campaign Manager 5. Choose two to three qualities that you observed in the applicant. Jane has a rare blend of top writing and interpersonal skills. The combination of tenacity, analytical abilities, and good communications skills found in Mr. Doe is truly unique. 6. In discussing those qualities, support your statements with specific instances in which he or she demonstrated those attributes. Be as concrete and detailed as possible He is the only student I ever had who came to all my office hours as part of a relentless, and ultimately successful, drive to master political theory. He was one of just ten percent in the class to receive an A. Because of Jane's writing skills, I didn't hesitate to ask her to write a report which was used by our PAC as the basis for a major policy statement. Congressman X eventually used the statement, based on Jane's sophisticated 20-page analysis of Middle East politics, in lobbying for increased funding. 7. Try to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her vis a vis other applicants that you have observed. He was in the top 10% of his class. She has the best analytical skills of any person her age that I have ever supervised. 8. Avoid generalities and platitudes. 9. Include some mild criticism, typically the flip-side of a strength. The only fault I have encountered in him is his retiring nature. His modesty sometimes hides a young man of remarkable strength and broad interests. Occasionally, her fortitude and persistence can turn into stubbornness, but usually her good nature and level-headedness prevail. 10. Discuss the applicant's potential in his or her chosen field. I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Doe to your graduate school. This well-rounded student will be a fine social worker. With her exceptional leadership, writing, and research skills, Ms. Smith will be an outstanding professor and a credit to the graduate school she attends. Please use these samples as a guideline and do not reproduce this same draft to your recommender. __________________________________________________________________________ LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION I know (YOUR NAME) for the past two years. He is a sincere and brilliant student. I have taught him subjects of '(SUBJECT)' and '(SUBJECT2)' in which his performance has been superlative. He scored (GOOD %) in '(SUBJECT)' during his semester examination. He is a promising young student with good academic skills and innate talents. While answering his queries and doubts during lectures, I found that he has penchant for research work. The diligence and intellectual ability, which he displays during practicals, are a clear indication of his research potential. His untiring industry and his scientific methodology make him unique form the rest. He is doing his final year project ('NAME'), under my guidance. I have seen his dedicated work and inquisitive nature, which he portrayed during this project work. Apart from his academic career, he is actively involved in extracurricular activities. He was a member in the inter-college festival (NAME OF FESTIVAL). He has also participated in many college functions and seminars. I am sure, he is a deserving candidate for research work and I sincerely feel, if given a chance (YOUR FIRST NAME) will definitely attain success in his further studies. It gives me great pleasure to recommend him to you. Sincerely, NAME OF PROF. __________________________________________________________________________ LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Recommending (YOUR NAME), a student of mine for the past two years is a great pleasure for me. I have taught him (NAME OF SUBJECTS) during his third and fourth year. He is one of the sincere, versatile, and brilliant students. His meticulous, thought provoking nature and ability to do hard work make him an excellent candidate for research work. His proficiency and dedicated work during lectures and practicals impressed me. He is punctual and perfectionist about his studies and assignments which place him above all. His dependable and trustworthy nature, modesty and tactfulness came forward when he was crewmember in our intercollege festival (NAME OF FESTIVAL). As I tried to know more of him, I found that he was selected in (NAME OF SOME EXAM IN SCHOOL DAYS) during his school days. He has good aptitude and curious mind to be successful in graduate studies. From my heart, I feel he is a worthy candidate for admission to your university. I recommend him with great confidence. Sincerely, NAME OF PROF. __________________________________________________________________________ LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (YOUR NAME) has been my student for the last two years. I have taught him subjects like (NAME OF SUBJECT1), (NAME OF SUBJECT2') and (NAME OF SUBJECT3). He is brilliant student who shows spark in his undergraduate studies. Because of his ability to learn subject from grassroots, I rate him as sincere student. I am confident that his concentration, systematic work and great skills in performing practicals will help him to achieve great success. He is a promising young student with a penchant for learning. He is zestful and a versatile student. He takes part in many college functions. His courteous and reliable nature shines in intercollege festival (NAME OF FESTIVAL) I appreciate his work during his undergraduate years and with full confidence I recommend him to you. Sincerely, NAME OF PROF.