Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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.
2. Ask the applicant to supply you with additional information like a résumé.
7. Try to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her vis a vis other
applicants that you have observed.
She has the best analytical skills of any person her age that I
have ever supervised.
Most of the materials you submit for the evaluation of your application to a
graduate program are objective and quantitative: grade-point average, Graduate
Record Exam scores, class standing, and so forth. Letters of recommendation are
the important exception; they should mention all your positive qualities not
revealed by objective data such as GRE scores. A substantive letter from an
informed referee can often be very persuasive to graduate admissions
committees, especially in "borderline" admissions decisions.
• How good are your research skills (of great interest to most graduate
programs)?
• Do you offer thoughtful contributions to class discussions?
• Do you have good interpersonal skills that enable you to get along with
faculty and other students?
• Do you exhibit strong leadership skills?
• Have you contributed to the various extracurricular activities of the
Department such as Psi Chi and the Psychology Club?
Good prospects for good letters are your advisor and those faculty teaching the
smaller, intensive courses required of all majors such as Statistics and Research
Methods (your grades in which graduate schools review especially carefully).
Other helpful letters could be provided by faculty with whom you have done
Directed Research, those from whom you have taken several courses, or faculty
with whom you have an affinity and who know you well. Ideally, your referees
(letter-writers) are your advocates for admission. However, their advocacy can
be only as effective as their knowledge about you.
The single best thing you can do, to get a good letter of
recommendation--particularly if a teacher does not have a long acquaintance
with you--is to provide your letter writer with useful information. Here is
the type of information letter writers often find helpful:
With this information, you can help your referees make their best possible case
for you, to help you attain employment or admission to graduate school.
Make it believable
There's no doubt that you're the brightest student your professor has ever seen
(like the dozen others who have asked him to recommend them). But if your
professor puts you in the top 5% in every category that he's been asked to rank
you, and your transcripts show that you averaged in the bottom 25% of your
class, it's bound to raise some eyebrows. So take it easy on those adjectives and
percentages. Make sure you match up the assessments in the recommendation
with the hard figures that your transcripts reveal.
Try and talk about aspects of your personality that haven't been covered
elsewhere
The recommendation really is a magnificent opportunity to do this. So instead of
getting your professor to describe your entire project (which you've already
talked about in your resume/essay), say that he saw you grow during the year
that you were assisting him on the project. How your already superior
fundamentals in the subject were reinforced by your having developed
considerable finesse and accuracy in the laboratory.
And even if you are fortunate enough to have people around you who are
prepared to write up their own recommendations for you, there are certain
aspects you could try to keep in mind.
How much credibility are they likely to hold with the university.
In academia, professors are likely to carry more weight compared to lab-
assistants. In any case, make sure that the professional competence of the
person recommending you is apparent.
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Each of the persons recommending you deserves a copy of your resume. Along
with that, give them the original recommendation form and a copy too. In this
copy, give them points that you'd like covered in their write-up. If the form asks
them to list an incident where you displayed leadership skills, it'd make it easier
for them if you have provided them with a few incidents that you think would be
suitable. Let them do the descriptive part. Your job is to make sure they
remember a few relevant incidents. You could even attach a note saying that
you'd rather they talk about your pet project, etc.
Related Issues
Make your timeframe absolutely clear. And while we're on the topic, be
considerate and give them a few weeks to prepare your recommendation. Be
sure that you've given yourself a buffer of a week or two to make up for
unexpected exigencies. Also clear up whether they'd like to mail the
recommendation themselves or whether they want you to do the needful.
Consult the application brochure to make sure you're aware of what your
university prefers.
SAMPLE 1
Please use these samples as a guideline and do not reproduce this same draft to
your recommender
His intelligence ,sincerity and pleasing personality make him an asset to your
graduate program at your university. I strongly recommend admission for him in
your graduate school and for any financial assistance you can offer .I am
confident that he will not only continue to be a promising and competitive
student but would also be capable of efficiently discharging his duties as
graduate assistant as exemplified in the past. I wish him all the success for his
future endeavors.
Prof. XYZ
Phd.(MIT)
I have known Mr.XYZ for the past one year in my capacity as a Head of the
Department of Computer Science. I have taught him Computer organization and
Database Management Systems. He is a sincere and promising student of our
institution.
XYZ was one of the few students who took the initiative to make presentations
during the duration of his course. His presentation on comparative study of
database modeling was very informative and helpful to other students.
He was invariably well prepared for his lectures. He is attentive and fields
questions with ease. I judge XYZ to be one of the best students in the class. He
has an excellent command over the English language and expresses himself
clearly.
I strongly recommend him for Graduate Studies at your university and for
financial assistance in the form of Research or Teaching assistantship. I am
confident that he will live up to your expectations
Dr.ABC
SAMPLE 2
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 hardwork 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.
SAMPLE 3
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.
Sincerely,
NAME OF PROF.
SAMPLE 4
(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.
SAMPLE 5
In my evaluation he has been one among the class talents. I can confidently
place him among the top 10 students. Apart from his academics, he has involved
in various student activities in the institution. His contribution in the Guest
lectures by various industrial personalities and the national level technical
symposium conducted by chemical engineering association received
appreciation. He represented the college football team for four consecutive
years.
I conclude my assessment with the self-belief that his inbuilt talent and the
requisite skill provided by the institution will make him a successful person. I am
confident that he will prove to be a resourceful student and certainly fulfill your
expectations in all aspects.
So I strongly recommend him for your esteemed university with assistantship.
SAMPLE 6
I am very glad to pen the letter of recommendation for X. I have known him for
four years and I can make an appraisal as the Head of the Chemical Engineering
Department, professor and project guide.
As a professor I handled two vital subjects along with practical classes, “Fluid
Mechanics” and “Chemical Reaction Engineering”. The interest he showed in my
subjects is highly laudable. The performance in these subjects of scoring good
marks at the university level confirms his capacity.
SAMPLE 7
In practical classes his dedication in arriving at the exact reading, and the
perseverance and patience in doing long time experiments often drew the
attention of mine. The determination in updating the data and meticulous work
in the laboratory proves his potential to be a research student. The lectures he
presented in the seminar classes revealed his higher degree communication
skills.
X is a person with unique qualities. I had many chances to observe his qualities.
The involvement he showed in various student activities particularly while
leading the whole student team in conducting the national level technical
symposium led the way for
appreciation and awards. He has also been a part in cultural activities and a
prominent player in the college football team.
SAMPLE 8
I would rank him in the top 5% of all students, I have evaluated with in the past
years. I would strongly recommend him for the graduate program with full
financial assistance.
SAMPLE 9
He has a good command over both written and oral English and has the potential
to become a good teacher. His greatest asset is his practical approach and
handling difficult situations with ease. This was evident when he organized the
National Level Technical Symposium “Virtuoso ’01 ’02”.
With his outstanding intelligence, uniqueness and dedication, I place him among
the top 5% students I have taught. I strongly believe that he has high potential
for success in higher studies and strongly recommend his candidature for
admissions to M.S program in your University with full assistantship.
SAMPLE 10
I am very much pleased to issue this letter of recommendation for X who has
been one of my most illustrious students for the past two years. I have taught
him Software Engineering, TCP / IP and Artificial Intelligence. This has given me
the chance to determine his scholastic credentials for future studies.
He contributed by taking seminars on various topics and exhibited his ideology
on computer science. He has the inclination to analyze technical details to its
minutiae. His interests include solving conundrums and optimizing solutions. I
would rank him among the top 5% of the students in his class.
He is cheerful and unassuming. I had always found him proactive and initiative. I
appreciate his active participation in organizing our National Level Technical
Symposium, “Virtuoso ’01 ’02”.
SAMPLE 11
I have known X as a sincere and highly motivated student in the Electronics and
Communication Department for the past three years in my capacity as Professor,
Head of the Department (Electronics and Communication Engineering). With this
background I am sure I can assess her capabilities for a future academic career.
She has got very good communication skill and has clarity of thought combined
with good command over English Language. She has delivered several seminars
and lectures. In these she portrayed her capabilities as a teacher.
I feel that her academic proficiency and potential for research makes her one of
the truly outstanding candidates I have come across. I recommend her strongly
with no reservation for admission to the Graduate Program at your University
preferably with financial aid.
SAMPLE 12
I have known the applicant X for the past three years as an undergrad student in
our institution. I have interacted with him both on and off the classroom and
hence I can confidently assess his capability.
He has an insatiable zeal to learn more about the subject as he delves into it,
which increases his realm of knowledge beyond the limits of syllabus. He has the
ability to visualize and link together the fundamentals of each subject. He has
good English proficiency which makes him an ideal student for research.
I have been observing him in terms of personality and academics and would
unhesitatingly state that he is most suited for a research career. I strongly
recommend his candidature for admission with full financial assistance for
graduate studies at your institution.
SAMPLE 13
It gives me great pleasure to pen this letter of recommendation for X who has
been an outstanding undergraduate student in Electronics and Communication
Engineering Department. As an Assistant Professor and Project guide for X, I
have known him for the past three and a half years. I find him to be highly
motivated, disciplined and of exceptional character.
Academically, I would rate him among the top % of the students in a class of
65. His current project “Smart Camera Surveillance System” is in line for the best
project award. Apart from this project, he has also undertaken and completed a
project “Speech Verification using Virtual Instrumentation”. This apart, he has
conducted a research on Infrared communication during his semester holidays.
He is currently carrying out his research in wireless communication.
Judging from the amount of research and his thirst for better understanding, I
find him to be an apt student to pursue higher studies in your esteemed
university with full financial aid.
SAMPLE 14
Being an avid reader, he has the habit of keeping in touch with the latest
developments. His analytical and mathematical skills are unsurpassed by most in
his class. He has done a project in designing a protection circuit for a
rechargeable watch. The project titled ’Overcharge Prevention for REQ’ is
currently being implemented by one of the leading watch manufacturers in India.
His diligence is reflected in his percentile of marks and he ranks among the top
% of students in his class. He has also participated in many seminars and has
organized many functions. Last year he took active part in our department
function as the Master of Ceremony.
An active member in class, his insatiable thirst for knowledge has resulted in
many an interesting discussion. His command over English is impeccable and he
has excellent communication skills.
A highly disciplined student in every aspect and a true prodigy is the best way I
can describe him. I have faith that he will perform very well if given the chance
to prove himself. I would therefore recommend him to your university with
financial aid.