LOR - Letter of Recommendation


Who Can Give a Recommendation Letter?

Academic faculties of the learning institution that the student attended can give an academic recommendation letter. Such people, mandated to write an academic recommendation letter, include:

  • Teachers can write recommendation letters based on their students’ academic performance, character, and particular traits since they have close interactions with them.

  • Guidance counselors can also write an academic recommendation letter because they have most likely interacted with the student regularly to discuss their academic progress or career choices.

  • Administrators, in most cases, do not mingle with the students as much as the teachers would. Still, they can also write an academic recommendation letter since they understand the student’s overall academic progress based on records and few interactions.

  • Supervisors can write an academic letter of recommendation about a student they supervised during their projects, detailing their character and abilities demonstrated during the period of their interaction.



How Do You Write an Academic Recommendation Letter?


The 3 basic components that must be covered in LOR are the

  • applicant-recommender relationship,

  • applicant’s qualities, and

  • examples to support such claims.


Other topics that can be discussed include the applicant’s vision, performance comparison with other colleagues, personal qualities, etc.


An academic letter of recommendation follows a professional and formal guideline. The letter’s writer should provide relevant details that should be included in an academic letter of recommendation. Following steps may be followed for writing an academic letter of recommendation:


Address the letter

An academic recommendation letter feels more personalized when addressed to the correct recipient; hence, the applicant should provide details of the institution, department, or individual that the letter should address. It is best to have "TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN" when you may use the same letter at a number of universities.


Example:

Dear Hiring Manager,

OR


To Whomsoever it may concern.



Include a brief introduction

The introduction section of the academic reference letter should give a brief opening statement detailing the purpose of writing the letter on behalf of the applicant.


For example:

This letter expresses my support for "Student Name" to gain admission into your graduate program at "ABC University" in the "sciences" department.



Outline the applicant’s academic capabilities

An academic letter of recommendation is bound to present the overall performance of a student in various subjects and their progress, including their strengths. Some of the points of interest to talk about in this section include:


Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities outside the classroom by the student should be noted in the recommendation letter to showcase their capabilities.


Example: Sara is a talented literary critic and poet, and she has my highest recommendation as a student and writer.


Awards or recognitions

To increase an applicant’s chances of being considered, one can write about the applicant’s awards or recognitions in the academic reference letter. In addition, recommenders can mention accolades or prizes given to the student in recognition of past performance.


Example: Sara was awarded as the best poet in the national drama festival competitions held in 2019.



Area of expertise

Disclose to the interviewer some of the areas that an applicant is best at writing an academic recommendation letter.


Example: Sara is talented at ballet and uses it to enhance her social capabilities.



Positive character traits

When writing an academic recommendation letter, one is expected to outline the applicant’s best traits to influence a good perception of the recipient towards the applicant. Describing a candidate’s positive traits increases their chances of being considered for a job, admission, or scholarship.


Example: Sara is a team player and brings out the best in team members by presenting excellent team projects in all her collaborations.



Ambition

State in the academic recommendation letter the ambitions of the applicant that coincide with the job position they applied for or the study course they aim to pursue in college or graduate school.


For Example:

Sara has always had the ambition to be a neurosurgeon and purposed to advance their medical degree in the field during her graduate program.


Give an example of the applicant’s academic achievement.

The strengths of the applicant should be backed by their achievements when writing an academic recommendation letter.


Example;

She produced an extraordinary year-long thesis paper on creative identity development. She compared works from three different periods and synthesized cultural and historical perspectives to inform her analysis


End the letter

The final part of the recommendation letter contains the writer’s closing statements that emphasize why the recipient should consider the applicant.


Example:

The applicant possesses exceptional skills, an academic portfolio, and admirable traits essential in performing job tasks. Your consideration of hiring Sara for the job position would be highly appreciated.


Provide your contact information

The writer of an academic recommendation letter should conclude the letter with their contact details. In most cases, one writes their official capacity contact or the institution they work for.


Example:


Tom Smith,

Principal,

Mark Twain High School.

Email: tom@marktwainschool.outlook.com

Telephone: 987-765-3738.