Attention Teachers: HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATIO! ‘When students apply to undergraduate and graduate programs in America, the application process usually includes at least two recommendations letters from teachers or professors who can honestly evaluate the student's academic ability and potential as a scholar. These count a lt in ‘making the decision on whether oF nat to accept the student soit important that you provide the admissions committee with the kind of information that is most helpful. Your American colleagues are relying on your judgment and expertise to help them make the right decision, > Only agree to write a recommendation if you can write a positive one. It is best to be hhonest with the student and tell them to ask someone if what you have to say is going to hhurt their chances of acceptance. FFind out what the student's specific goals are before you begin writing the recommendation. You want to emphasize the aspects of their personality and academic performance that relate to that goal. The leter should include your status ~ position atthe university or job ttle, How long ‘you have known the studawt and in what capacity (as a teacher, an adviser, a research supervisor, etc). ni The better you know the student, the more effective your recommendation will be, They want specifics, NOT generalizations. [tis good to say that someone is hard working and organized, but you need to back-up these statements with concrete examples. “Julia is a hhard working student. Her research project on unemployment in our country was thorough and was an impressive demonstration of her ability to work with and analyze statistics.” ‘Talk about what the student has done and is capable of doing. What is it exactly about the student that makes him or her special? Why do you think this student would benefit from studying in the U.S.” ‘Quantify your impressions. 1s the student in the top 5% of his or her classmates, top 10%, 25%, 5%? Evaluate the student by comparing him or her with other students you have observed in ‘your work. The following is a suggestion of the categories you may wish to use for Comparison. You can use phrases such as excellent, very good, average, or below average, Academic of Intellectual Ability Writing, Research, Computer Skills Seriousness of Purpose Analytical Ability Matucity Classroom Style: Participati Work or Study Habits Commitment Knowledge of Field Adaptability to New Situations Resourcefulness and InitiativeGraduate Students “Motivation to Pursue Graduate Study ‘Teaching Potential Potential for Significant Future Contribution in Field One page is sufficient. Quality, not quantity, is what is important. Make every sentence count. Do not put something in if an immediate connection cannot be made between that information and the students ability to participate in the program, ‘Technically, the students are not supposed to see the recommendations. Obviously itis difficult for international applicants to follow this rule because the student must ensure that everything is mailed. Most schools ask that the recommender put the leter in an envelope, seal it shut, and sign over the sealFSSHOFSSFSIFIFSIVIFIATIIFAIIIVISISASFSEEEES EIS Fo. Yr Letters of Recommendation ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION IN THE ADMISSION PROCESS ‘American universities require data and information in order to process and evaluate and request for admission: the application form, results of standardized tests, academic records, a personal statement and proof of financial solvency. In addition to this information, the request must be accompanied by letters of recommendation, generally three in number. These letters are of great importance for the candidate, by virtue of their influence on the final evaluation and decision of the university. ‘The information furnished by a good letter of recommendation provides relevant support material and assists the institution in building a clear profile of the candidate in terms of previous activity, academic potential, personal attributes and future professional application of knowledge acquired through study in the USA. In some cases, a letter of recommendation may be the deciding factor in a candidate's admission. WHOM TO ASK FOR A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Carefully choosing the people who write about him or her is in the candidate's best interest. Itis preferable that the letter be written by professors, although one of two may be from among those who employ or supervise the candidate. Itis important that the people chosen be knowledgeable about the candidate and also qualified to evaluate his/ her performance and to provide personal, specific and meaningful information about the candidate. HOW TO WRITE THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Initially, the letter of recommendation should identify its author in terms of academic background and professional experience. If the author has been associated with the ‘American educational system, whether as a student, professor or researcher, this, fact should be mentioned. The person who has had a university experience in the United States is better able to objectively evaluate a student's possibility for success in that academic system. Following this, the existing relationship between the author of the letter and the candidate (professor/ student, researcher/ assistant, employer/ employee, etc.), and {he duration and nature of the contact should be specified by the author ofthe letter. For example: This candidate was my student for two semesters, in a theoretical- laboratory course in the biological sciences, which had as its objective to introduce genetic and molecular biology to biology students, This course, one of the department's most rigorous, awards four credits. During our association, | hed the opportunity to become well acquainted with the candidate, and this permits me to make a prediction with regard to his performance in the American academic system The letter should evaluate the candidate's level of ability and performance, from the speeific, in relation to other participarits in the same group, to the general, in relation 1o the norms of a specific academic or professional area. For example: The candidate impressed me as an extremely capable and above average student. Ae 26Letters of Recommendation Among the group of thirty students, | would not hesitate to consider him one of the two best in the class. This student's academic performance and participation during the course revealed ability to think logically, intellectual curiosity, commitment and critical thinking. In Addition to these characteristics, he consistently demonstrated a highly developed creative abilty while he was my student. Aletter should also mention the candidate's personal traits- leadership ability, ‘maturity, or others, if the author has had the opportunity to observe these. Finally it is important for the letter to emphasize the relevance of the foreign program of study to the professional possibilities in the candidat . Note: To maintain the confidential aspect of the letter, itis preferable that the author of the letter send it directly to the university. Therefore, when you ask someone to write a letter of recommendation, itis suggested that you provide them with a stamped envelope addressed to the institution to which it should be sent. Letter of Recommendation - Sample Mr. is a student in the master’s program at the Universidad Federal at which | am Professor in Atomic/ Molecular Physics. (I am also chairman of the physics department, senior researcher in the National Physics Institute, and also hold a doctorate from Western American University, where | was a teaching assistant). Mr. initiated his graduate program last year, and intends to complete it at the end of this year. He has been my student in a course on low temperature physics and a seminar in solid state particles. Currently, Mr. is developing a thesis dealing with energy transfer in proton acquisition for hydrogen to helium transformation. Although this institution has limited (but adequate) equipment for such experimentation and measurement he has used it with great resource and application. Indeed, these traits particularly distinguish his character, study and emerging research accomplishes. These attributes have stimulated him to pursue a doctoral degree at an institution abroad with greater laboratory and library resources. Mr, is among the most exceptional four or five students which | have had in my teaching career of twenty years. Not only has he used limited local resources with great skill, but he has been significant in establishing better maintenance procedures and wider application of its publication in the National Journal of Physics, the preliminary findings of which he delivered at the last meeting of the Brazilian National Association of Physics. The professional interests of Mr. primarily concentrate in the theoretical aspects of physics with the objective of developing a teaching and research center. He has already proved a valuable research assistant for me and is a part-lime instructor at another schoo! locally. He promises to be a fine physicist (as a researcher and university professor) and, possibly, one of distinction should he have the opportunity to develop his skills in an institution with greater resources. oe 27SHPESSETIVEHHPEGSwELELEEOEELEDS FECES CESS PESTER ELE Letters of Recommendation Writing Tips for Referencists IDEAS ™ Ifthe student is absent, how is the class or school different? = What has ever surprised you about this student? = What three adjectives come to mind when you think of himvher? How would peers describe him/her? What are the priorities ofthis student? ™ Where do you envision this person in 10 years? ORGANIZATION Introduction Academic Achievement Character Future Success Conclusion VOICE ™ The tone of the letter should speak to the student as a complex person. ™- It should present causes for behavior, reasons for selective interest, and patterns of performance in class, WORD CHOICE Use specific adjectives ™ Use concrete examples 3 ™ Provide an anecdote that captures the student's essence ™ Explain uniqueness of school / program Check for typos 28