whatsapp

Guidelines for Letter of Recommendation

 

Following are all the guidelines you would need to know while writing LOR

LOR 

LOR

LOR stands for Letter of Recommendation. LOR certifies and asset the candidate’s applications by the people who have reviewed the candidate under a professional atmosphere.

A LOR gives brief information about the candidate’s skills, academics records, talents, achievements, certifications, etc to the admission department of the university.

 Template of LOR 

 

Template Of LOR

  • Contact Information

A letter of recommendation must be included with the contact information of both- the person writing LOR and the recipient contact information at the top of the LOR.

  • Greeting 

Include a salutation to start LOR while writing a personal LOR.

  • 1st Paragraph- Introduction

In the introduction, the paragraph recommender must include his/her brief description. In the first paragraph of LOR a recommender must include his/her purpose of writing the LOR and answer the questions like how you know the candidate and for how long you know the candidate.

  • 2nd/3rd Paragraph- Purpose of writing 

In the second paragraph, the recommender must tell the admission committee about the talent and potential candidate has to offer. It can include details about the candidate’s academic and extracurricular achievements. The recommender must include examples to support his statements.

  • 4th Paragraph- Summary

In the 4th paragraph, the recommender should summarize the reason why he is recommending the candidate.

  • 5th Paragraph- Conclusion

In this paragraph, the recommender should tell the admission department that he is open to sharing more information about the candidate and is open to any query or doubts. 

  • Letter Closing 

Letter of Recommendation must be ended with a formal letter closing (name, title, and signature and contact information) 

Some of the qualities of the candidate that can be included in LOR are: 

  • Commitment to self-directed research
  • Critical thinking power
  • Self-reflection, self-criticism
  • Innovative thinking, conceptual experimentation, originality
  • Perseverance
  • Ability to work equally well alone and in teams
  • Passion for the subject and in-depth engagement with it
  • Knowledge, experience and understanding of the field
  • Visualization power
  • Disciplined work habits
  • Flair for implementation of theory/application skills
  • Imagination and creativity
  • Some knowledge of art history
  • Self-motivation
  • Good communication skills – written and oral
  • Comprehension abilities

Whom to Approach? 

 

Whom To Approach?

Choosing the right recommender would play a major role in getting your application selected. Here is brief information you should know before choosing your recommender:

  • Candidates with no work experience

Generally candidate applying for UG degree program falls in such category. However there are students who pursue master’s immediately after completing their bachelors. Following are the people you can approach for writing LOR is you have no work experience

  • Your teachers or professors
  • HOD (head of Department)
  • Your school principal
  • The dean of your college
  • Director of your university

A LOR that is written by candidate’s academic teacher or mentor can eventually increase the credibility of LOR for masters. You can easily get Letter of Recommendation from professor for master’s degree

  • For candidates having work experience

The candidates who have work experience can ask the people with whom they had close professional relation for LOR. The person must be at a good authoritative position in the company and must have closely worked with you. Remember that he/she must write about your work ethics, roles and responsibilities in the organization.

What does the LOR do? 

 

What Does LOR Do?

  • LOR validates Resume 

LOR helps in validating all your achievements mentioned in the resume. It works as a proof for your positive conduct in office or college.

  • LOR provides 3rd person impression

LOR is written by a responsible person therefore it provides validation of candidate’s abilities and some other qualities like discipline and dedication.

 

Mistakes that should be avoided while writing LOR 

Mistakes To Be avoided While Writing LOR

  1. Choosing the wrong recommender 

Choosing the wrong recommender could be your biggest mistake; a candidate must choose the person who is absolutely right for writing his LOR. The Recommender you choose must know your strength, talent and achievements so that they could write LOR in the most convincing and perfect way that will eventually make the admission team feel that the candidate is an equitable choice for getting admission in the university. Candidate can simply diminish his/her chances of getting admission in the desired university simply by choosing the wrong recommender.

  1. Plagiarism 

Using plagiarized content in your Letter of Recommendation can be the most unattractive thing you or your recommender could do, that will surely make the admission committee lose their interest in your application. You can read Letter of recommendation samples but only for references, Copy and pasting may sound easy work but it will surely make the credibility of your application low. 

  1. Missing Out Relevant Information 

Candidate must make sure that the referee includes all the important and relevant information in the Letter of Recommendation. It is suggested that you the candidate must write the important points that are supposed to be included in the LOR and hand it to the referee, this will make sure that the referee will not miss out any relevant information. Rushing in the last minute can also result in missing out the relevant information therefore it is recommended to give your referee enough time.

Frequently Asked Questions 

FAQs

1. What should we include in LOR?

Following are the points that must be included in LOR:

  • Relationship of the person writing the LOR with the candidate
  • Certification and achievements of the Candidate in Academics, extracurricular activities, job or internship
  • Duration of the relationship between the candidate and the person writing
  • Analytics and critical thinking ability of the candidate 
  • Dedication and commitment of the candidate 
  • Candidate’s soft skills

2. Does the person writing our LOR play an important role in getting our application selected?

Yes the person writing our LOR plays an important role in getting our application selected. Choosing the wrong recommender could be your biggest mistake; a candidate must choose the person who is absolutely right for writing his LOR. The Recommender you choose must know your strength, talent and achievements so that they could write LOR in the most convincing and perfect way that will eventually make the admission team feel that the candidate is an equitable choice for getting admission in the university. Candidate can simply diminish his/her chances of getting admission in the desired university simply by choosing the wrong recommender.

3. Should we use examples in LOR?

Yes, examples must be included in LOR. If the recommender is just praising and complimenting the candidate without including examples in the LOR then this can decrease the credibility of the application. Recommender must include relevant examples for supporting his statements; this will increase the chances for the application to get selected.

Find Your Dream University

If you are planning to study abroad and searching to match your profile with the best suited university, Experts at Manya – The Princeton Review have gathered important information of top Universities from abroad. Surely, this information will help you narrow down your quest for universities.

You can access accurate & authentic information related to rankings, application fees, average tuition fees, cost of living, scholarships, latest updates, and much more from more than 1000+ universities. You may also search for universities by name, country, or courses in common specializations, such as Physics, Finance, Business, Language and Culture, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Computer and IT, Media and Communication Marketing.

Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing admissions consulting services, test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants.

For more information, call our Study Abroad Helpline 1800 102 4646.

Sharing is caring:
Book your Free Counselling Session now!

Planning to study abroad?
Get free 1-on-1 counselling with our experts

Subscribe to this blog