Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for UK

What is a Letter of Recommendation?

The Letter of Recommendation or LOR is a document that provides the admission officers with a comprehensive insight into your suitable candidate, for admission into the concerned University.

To have the most impression, the LOR should be brief, concise, and to the point. It’s important to remember that this is a separate letter that should never be included with a resume. The most important reason why applications may be rejected or refused is because of this. But what makes a good LOR?

How to Write a Good LOR?

When drafting a letter of recommendation, there are a few standards and things to keep in mind. These guidelines assist the admissions committee in gaining a thorough understanding of the candidate as well as the significance of the recommendation. So, when you ask someone to give you a recommendation, make sure it includes the following:

• An explanation of the recommender’s relationship with you in a few words.
• Observations should be direct in order to provide a comprehensive idea of the extent of interaction.
• Your LOR should include a thorough evaluation of your eligibility and suitability for the course/program/study.
• Unless it is necessary to comprehend some academic data, a recommendation letter should never reveal grades or competitive test scores.
• Any personal or sensitive data about you should only be included if it is relevant or if it is deemed absolutely required.
• The recommendation letter should discuss the traits and unique contributions that you would bring to the university, such as what positive improvements, influence, and new learning you would be able to provide.

Pick up the Right Recommender

Picking the correct recommenders for issuing your LORs is as important as the format and content of the LORs.
You need to choose the right recommender who has worked with you nearly as they can offer a detailed insight into your personality, chops and work.

The LORs should be written by the recommenders themselves to maintain the authenticity of the drafts. Still, in some cases, the arbiters prefer the aspirant to draft the original dupe of the LOR and later, the arbiters upgrade it by adding their inputs.

Also, it’s recommended to keep a backup recommender in case any one of the preliminarily perfected arbiters is unapproachable.

LOR for the UK

A Letter of Recommendation/LOR/Letter of Reference is a letter to the admissions committee sent by a third party recommending an applicant for admission. In the United Kingdom, a letter of reference is usually prepared by a professional or academic acquaintance of the applicant to assess and describe the applicant’s abilities and skills in relation to the job they did or the educational training they obtained.
The following are some of the most important letters of recommendation guidelines for UK universities:

• There is no standard structure for LORs in the United Kingdom, they should ideally not exceed one or two pages, as stipulated by the university.
• Academic recommendations are preferred by most universities, but some programs within the university may elect to demand a professional
  referee.
• Personal recommendations from friends or family members are not allowed, regardless of any academic or professional ties.
• LORs must give a professional review of the applicant’s record and overall growth, as defined. LORs are sent with admissions applications in the United Kingdom, providing applicants adequate time to choose a suitable recommender and receive proper guidance.

LOR for UG in the UK

The UCAS site is used by the majority of UK universities to handle undergraduate applications. All of your supporting materials, such as a personal statement, recommendation letters, and a resume, must be uploaded to the portal. Take a look at the UCAS personal statement requirements. Typically, universities do not request extra references from UG applicants.

Only one letter of recommendation is necessary, and it should come from one of the following sources:

• School Teacher
• School Tutor
• Head Teacher
• Principal

LOR for Graduate Program in the UK

For admission to graduate programs such as Masters of Science, Masters of Arts, and Masters of Engineering, almost all of the best universities in the UK demand two LORs. Applicants may be asked to give academic and/or professional letters of recommendation, depending on the department and university.

Letters of Recommendation for MBA Programs: For UK university applications, at least one professional reference and a maximum of two references are always requested. Although some colleges demand one from an academic and another from a professional source, these references may be required to be totally from professional sources.

Sample Letter of Recommendation for UK

This letter of recommendation (LOR) is written by a university lecturer for a student pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering:

(Name of the referee)

(Position of the referee)

(Mailing address/contact details of the referee)

(Name of recipient(s)

(Mailing address of recipient)

(Position of recipient) (Today’s date)

Dear (Admissions Committee/ Dean of Admissions),

My name is (referee’s name), and I am a senior lecturer at (Name of University) as well as the Head of the Mechanical Workshop Practices Unit. I am delighted to recommend (applicant’s name) for your university’s Master’s Program. For the past five years, I’ve known (applicant’s name) and have taught him Fluid Mechanics (Semester 3), Naval Architecture (Semester 4), and Assembling Drawing (Semester 5). For the previous two topics, I’ve also been supervising his mechanical workshop work. I interacted with ABC on an intellectual and personal level during his time with us, and without equivocation, I can say that his excellence and commitment to whatever he accomplishes is unrivaled. I’m excited to have the chance to work with such a bright, curious, and talented young kid. Despite being a gifted student in mechanical areas, I’ve noticed how his interest has peaked in physics, math, and mechanical ideas in recent years, while his high aptitude for math and science, as well as his curious nature, have urged him to study and understand engineering concepts and ideas far beyond his level.

Furthermore, he has performed admirably in his coursework, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and ranking among the top 10% of his class. He is always on time for class and always completes his assignments and term papers before the deadlines. He also has my strongest recommendation for admission to your engineering program, as he has demonstrated proficiency in everything he has been assigned, whether it is working in a group or developing an experimental project. His boundless curiosity and willingness to take risks lead me to believe that nothing will be able to stop him from achieving great things in college and in his career.

I spoke with (applicant’s name) in depth about his long-term objectives and ambitions, and I am confident that your university will be the ideal fit for him, as your university is dedicated to assisting students in realizing their full potential and forging new paths in innovation. I’m also confident that the university will profit from his ever-expanding expertise and ideas; (applicant’s name) is always bringing something new to any unit.

I hope you will grant him this admission.

Sincerely,

(Name of Recommender)

(Job designation)

(Name of University)