Recommendation Letters (Reference Letters)
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Although grade point averages and English Exams' scores play a significant role in college or university admissions, most graduate programs do not base their decisions on numeric scores alone. Recommendation Letters play an important role in your application process.

Sometimes for different reasons, students will often find themselves in the position to write these letters themselves. The professor will, in this case, only proof-read and signs the text. In case you are one of the lucky ones who do not have to write recommendation letters, you should still read this section. You will find useful hints about how to properly handle this delicate part of the application process. The following information is provided in this section:

What is a Recommendation Letter?

Recommendation letters are written by professors whom you have worked under or obtained good grades in their courses. They should know you well and be familiar with your projects. They can help the admission committee to get a better picture of your potential.

Every part of your application creates the image of your personality in the minds of the admissions committee members. The recommendation letters provide a third person perspective on the kind of a person you are. What a recommendation letter says about you should supplement the image you are trying to project.

Recommendation Letters’ Importance

Highly competitive programs may simply use grade point averages and English exams scores as a screening device to reduce the size of their applicant pool. In such a situation, letters of recommendation can be extremely important. Hence, good recommendations can serve as a powerful tool to ‘sell’ you to the committee.

Your recommendations are important because they verify your claims and provide the admissions committee an opportunity to learn more about you from people you have worked closely with.

Professional review of your letters will maximize your chance of getting admitted.

 

Select Your References and Provide Them with Your Materials

In general, the best letters of recommendation are from people who:

• Have worked with you closely (e.g., a research supervisor)
• Have known you long enough to write with authority (e.g., academic advisor)
• Have relevant expertise (e.g., professors in the case of academic applications)
• Are senior and well known (e.g., a departmental chair)
• Have a positive opinion of you and your abilities
• Have a warm and supportive personal style

The ideal letter writer is knowledgeable about you, about the place you are applying, and about the norms of letter writing. Knowledge of you permits the letter to include specific examples and anecdotes, which are much more powerful than generic bromides or undifferentiated praise.

Many applications request 3 letters. Including 4 strengthens your application; however, it's better to have 3 very strong letters than to have 4 letters, only 3 of which are very strong. Don't omit obvious people such as past supervisors and advisors from your list; these glaring omissions will lead those evaluating your recommendation to the conclusion that things did not work out and that person would have written a negative recommendation.

Another issue is whether letter writers should attempt to address weaknesses in your application. For example, if you received a low Quantitative GRE score due to a family crisis immediately before the test date, your letter writer might mention this and argue that the "A" you received in Statistics is a better measure of your quantitative skill.

Once you have 3-4 letter writers and a game plan for what you'd like the letters to say, there are two more things you can do to increase your chances of success:

1. Give your writers plenty of time
2. Give your writers a well-organized, thorough packet of materials with all the elements clipped together or contained in a single large envelope. Ideally, these elements should include:
   • A current copy of your academic transcript showing the courses you've taken and the level at which you've performed.
   • A copy of your academic vita or résumé (for information on how to create an academic vita; go to the Curriculum Vitae section).
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Candidates applying for graduate program: For an MS or Doctoral program, you should get at least two recommendations from your professors. 

Candidates applying for undergraduate program: For candidates applying for an undergraduate program, very few schools ask for a recommendation letter.  If asked, you should get it from one of your favorite teachers in school.

Candidates applying for Business School: Choosing the appropriate mix of recommenders largely depends on the program you are applying for.   For an MBA program, two recommendations from work and one from school is generally a good balance. 

Some other points to keep in mind while choosing your recommender:

• Choose people who know you well. Rather than choosing a famous person who has no intimate knowledge of your skills and abilities.
• Choose people who really like you.  It is important that a recommender invests time in writing your recommendation.  A person who likes you will take out the time as well as put a positive spin on your qualities.
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Guidelines for Writing Recommendation Letter

Usually, recommendation letters have to be written on specially designed sheets of paper that come as part of your application form. In some cases, letters on letterhead will be accepted, if for some reasons, you can’t use those special pieces of paper. Read carefully what has been written in the application booklet about such situations. Fill in the fields at the beginning at the form that ask for your name, department, etc. Take the forms to a professor who knows you and is familiar with your skills or activity. Try to make sure the professor is aware of who you are, what your interests are and understands what you are applying for.

Sometimes, a busy professor will suggest more or less directly that you produce a first draft of the text that he or she will correct and sign. In some cases, this is the only way you can get a letter that differs from the standard text every student gets from that professor.

A recommendation letter ideally starts by stating the name of the professor who writes the letter and his/her title, together with the name of the student for whom the letter is written. The professor should also state since when has s/he known the students: year, class or other activity. It should in any case be clear that the professor had the opportunity to get to know the student well and assess his/her capabilities.

The assessment of the student’s capabilities should be made from a multiple point of view over the next 3-4 paragraphs. From a professional point of view, it should give account of the student’s knowledge, interests and capabilities, activities and results, work capacity, etc. Personally, it should assess the student’s personal characteristics, character, social skills, his or her relations with the students and professors. Same as in other application documents, the direction should be from facts/experience to qualifications, and from those, to value judgments. Particularly those skills relevant for the desired program should be outlined throughout the paper.

The final paragraph should provide an overall assessment of the student’s potential to fulfill the requirements of the program, even though partial judgments can and should be provided in the body of the letter.

Most recommendation forms contain a certain number of fields, the multiple-choice kind, where the professor has to assess, by checking cells, your abilities. Make sure those fields are checked and insert the text in the place left for additional remarks. We strongly suggest that you do not leave blank that portion of the form, but use it instead as a self-standing recommendation letter.

Here is a brief template for writing recommendation letter (the complete one can be found at full version of "Recommendation Letters (Reference Letters)" guideline.

Name of Recommender
Title of Recommender
Recommender's affiliation
Recommender's Contact
Date:                                       

To Whom It May Concern,

Part 1) I'm a professor at the dept of X at Y University. I ...

Part 2) I met Ms/Mr. "Applicant's Full Name" in 200X (e.g. 2002), while s/he was a freshman/sophomore (whatever) taking …

Part 3) Explain that because of "Applicant's" training and research experience, I think she will be a great Master/PhD student ...

Sincerely Yours,

"Recommender's name"

Title of the recommender

Final Tips

Ø      Be specific. Don't just praise the person with generalities (such as "quick learner"), but give specific examples of things the person did to give you that impression. Rankings in class are another example of a helpful specific.

Ø      Differentiate. Say how this person is unlike other people: his or her specific strengths.

Ø      Be plausible. Don't make the person out to be perfect. Often shortcomings are just ignored, but it can also be reasonable to note some, particularly if the person has started to overcome them.

Ø      Say how well you know the person, and for how long. This should come at the beginning of the letter.

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Through the complete version of "Recommendation Letters (Reference Letters)" guideline, we show you how to choose your letters writers. More proper material you give to your references, better recommendation letters you get. In the full version of guideline, we completely mention materials you should give your references, and we provide you with a perfect, complete, and ideal template of Recommendation Letter. By adhering to these general guidelines, you will increase the chances of getting good letters of recommendation and ultimately securing the position you seek.