LOR (Letter of Recommendation) is a letter written by someone who can recommend you for admission to a concerned University. An undergraduate or a master's degree student must submit a recommendation letter as a prerequisite of the application process.
Since LOR determines what your past professors and employers think of your talents and credibilities, it is one of the most important documents that must be included in the application.
Universities not only rely on your test scores but also consider the LOR to determine the quality of your application.
Hence a good LOR can turn the admission decision in your favour. In this article, we explain what a recommendation letter is, who writes it, and the steps of writing it.
You can also find a few LOR samples for Students at the end of the article.
What is LOR? Who Writes LOR?
A recommendation letter is a positive endorsement of an applicant. It showcases their talents and abilities. LOR frames the applicant as an ideal candidate for admission to the concerned university.
A good recommendation letter plays a vital role in this competitive environment and improves the chances of getting admission.
LOR supports the admission officers in making final decisions in the selection process.
A person with genuine authority and goodwill write a letter of recommendation. He/she should be trustworthy and unbiased. Try not to ask for a recommendation letter from someone from the family, as it would be considered biased and would not be taken seriously by the university.
An ideal candidate to be considered for a Letter of recommendation is someone:
- Who knows you well
- Who has good academic background and achievements
- Who is your senior professor
- Who has completed the degree you are applying for
- Who has been your boss or a supervisor
- Who knows about your academic credentials
How to Write a Letter of Recommendation?
If you are writing a Letter of Recommendation for someone, try to make it professional, relevant and personalized. It is essential to remember the basic format of LOR before drafting it.
You can refer to the following:
- Follow traditional formal letter-writing rules
- Praise the student briefly in the first opening paragraph
- Outline the letter's intent
- Put in detail why the student is a good fit for admission
- Write engaging experiences and narratives
- Write a closing statement
A good recommendation letter can help someone study at his/her dream university. Writing a recommendation letter is a big responsibility as someone has relied on you to fulfil his/her dream. Follow these tips for writing a solid recommendation letter:
- Highlight the candidate's achievements, qualifications, skills and educational background.
- For future reference, keep a copy of the letter in your records.
- Write the recommendation letter on your letterhead with your initials on it.
- Spend time with the candidate to understand his/her objectives and goals
- Don't make it too long; briefly explain his/her key traits and skills that make them an excellent fit for the role.
- Describe the position and personality of the student.
- Mention positive qualities, achievements and the recommender’s thoughts on the applicant.
- Mention the relationship the recommender has with the applicant.
Letter of Recommendation: Format
- Contact Information
Include your contact information, as well as the recipient’s information, at the top of the letter.
- Greetings
If you are writing a personal recommendation letter, address the reader as Dear Dr. <name >
- Introduction
Explain who asked to write a recommendation, why you were asked, how you know that person and for how long.
- Body
Write about the person, why he or she deserves the admission, what he/she offers, and what makes that person qualified. Write two or more paragraphs about the student's academic and work performance.
- Conclusion
Mention your contact details and ask the reader to contact you in case of confusion.
Finally, close the letter with your name and title as other formal letters. Put your signature underneath your name.
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Talk to an ExpertSamples of LOR for Bachelor
Sample:1
To,
The Admission Committee
<University’s Name>
I am writing this letter of recommendation for <student’s name>, who has applied for admission to <course name> in your university. I have known <student’s name> from <school name>, where he/she did a plus 2. I was his/her teacher and have seen his/her work closely.
<student’s name> has always been determined to do better in every aspect of his/her studies, and he/she has excellent academic records. He/she has been sharp in mathematics, physics and Chemistry.
I have always been fascinated by his/her confidence, ready-to-take action, active involvement in school activities and his/her leadership. Besides good academics, during school days, he used to be an editor of a school magazine that used to be in English. There is no doubt that his English is brilliant.
On a personal level, <student’s name> is a passionate and hard-working student. I believe he/she deserves this opportunity to continue his/her further studies at your university. Hence I recommend him/her for admission to Bachelor's degree in your university. Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries.
I wish him/her success in his/her future endeavours.
Sincerely,
<name>
<designation>
<school name>
<contact number>
<Email>
Sample:2
<your name>
<your address>
<your phone number>
<your institutional email address>
<today’s date>
<recipient’s name>
<recipient’s institutional address>
Dear <recipient’s name> OR To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to recommend <student’s name> for admission in <course name> in <University name>
My name is <your name>; I am the head of the Accounts department in <Institution’s name>. I was pleased to know <student’s name> during his/her plus 2. He/she has always been a bright student.
<student’s name> consistently demonstrates ambition and maturity in the classroom. He/She is genuinely interested in developing his/her skills, challenging his/ her abilities, and being a great role model for his/her peers. He/She has impressed me with his/her calm and calculated attitude.
In addition to his/ her drive for academic excellence, I’ve also seen him/ her on the golf team, where he/ she showed kindness toward other athletes and kept an upbeat attitude during tournaments.<student’s name> is an exceptional candidate for graduate study at your university. Your university will benefit from <student’s name>’s ambitious nature, friendly attitude and affinity to lead others.
His/ her performance in my class indicates how he/ she would perform as a graduate student. He/ she would be an extremely positive asset to your program. Therefore, I highly recommend <name of student> for acceptance into the <Course name>at <university name>.
If I can further assist or provide you with any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
You can reach me by phone at <phone number> or by email at<email address>
Sincerely,
<Your name>
<Your Institution name>
Sample of LOR for Master’s degree
<your name>
<your address>
<your phone number>
<your institutional email address>
<today’s date>
<recipient’s name>
<recipient’s institutional address>
To whom it may concern,
I am pleased to recommend <student’s name> to your institution for the Master's in Computer Science program. I am a Deputy Head at the Department of Information & Communication Technology in <name of Institute>. I have known <student’s name> for almost 4 years now. Though he already passed out from our institution, I remember him as one of the bright students.
I met <student's name> when he enrolled for the Network Technologies elective during the 6th semester of his undergraduate studies. Though the course lasted 6 months, we interacted several times outside the classroom. He also reached out to me post-graduation for professional guidance. He was a competitive student and showed an impressive grasp of technical concepts.
I recall that <student’s name> was a step ahead of most of his peers when experimenting with his learnings. In one application, which was an Android Chess game, he made a multiplayer application where two users could connect their phones wirelessly and play the game in real-time. In the other application, he developed a chat module using TCP/IP in which users could chat with the app's admins. He would often come to me for guidance while developing these applications. I felt proud as a teacher to see my student practically implementing his classroom learnings.
<Student’s name> has always impressed me with his time management skills. He always was on time for his classes and never failed to meet deadlines. Despite having multiple assignments to complete in a semester, he would neither delay the submissions nor ask for extra time. Besides the coursework, he attended workshops and participated in technical events. He was also a member of the Lions Club of the college and actively participated in various social causes.
I strongly recommend <student's name>for his graduate studies in your institution. His keen desire to explore and learn will take him far ahead. I wish <student’s name> all the best for his graduate studies. Please feel free to contact me with any queries on this recommendation.
Sincerely,
Recommender’s Full Name
Designation – Department
Institute’s Name
Contact Information
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