Another vital document needed for your admission to study abroad is a Letter of Recommendation (LOR). A LOR from the appropriate person can ensure you a spot in your dream university, just as important as a Statement of Purpose (SOP) and resume. The LOR provides as concrete evidence from your professors or employers of these activities, just as the SOP and Resume cover all of your qualifications, academic achievements, personality attributes, and professional experiences. A LOR is important to the application process for PhD candidates because it serves as your opportunity to promote the field you want to study.

Types of PhD LORs depending upon the university

A PhD applicant usually has to submit two LORs. Nonetheless, to play it safe it is advisable that the applicant should have at least three LORs ready. Depending on the university you may find different means of submitting a LOR from your recommenders.

Subjective/ objective questionnaire format

Few institutions directly email the recommenders, you list on your application form with questions that are objective and/or subjective, similar to how certain MBA B-schools do. The majority of this email is a link to the university’s website, where the recommender is required to complete several questions. Usually, the answers to these queries depend on a person’s unique traits and skills. The recommenders may be asked to rate the application on a certain scale or to provide context for why they specifically emphasized a certain characteristic about the candidate. In other instances, the recommender can receive the LOR questions directly via email. He or she will then need to complete the responses and return the form to the university. It is done so as to maintain the authenticity of the document and retain secrecy from the applicant.

Generic format similar to MS LOR

Most universities will want generic LORs straight away. PhD LORs will follow the same format as MS and MBA LORs. Regarding the applicant’s research, just the content is expected to be concise. The LOR should begin with a compelling introduction and include at least three traits of the applicant with examples to back them up. These qualities can be focused on personal communication, technical expertise, the ability for focused research, and subject-specific abilities in addition to academic excellence. Also, because a PhD is an advanced degree program, the recommender should place more focus on the applicant’s research endeavours, projects, thesis work, research skills, passion for the field, dedication, and self-motivation.

Whom to ask for a PhD LOR?

Every application document is important because the PhD program is competitive and hard. Even with excellent test results and academic qualifications, a student’s application may be waitlisted or even rejected based simply on the quality of the documents. Documents like sample research essays, SOPs, and LORs can help in these situations by providing as the determining factor when deciding between candidates with similar profiles. So, it is important to select the ideal candidate who will be your recommender. The ideal person from whom you can get a PhD LOR is:

  • Subject professor
  • Project Guide or any academician under whose guidance you completed your project or Master’s thesis
  • Any other professor or employer with whom you worked on a research work/project
  • Academic recommendations can be taken from an internship or project supervisor
  • Lab supervisors

Your academic strengths and interests should be supported by your recommenders. You will also have an advantage if you have previously worked in that sector with well-known professors or researchers. A LOR from such well-known individuals would boost your profile.

The recommender should be able to speak highly of you personally, be familiar with you well as a departmental student, see your academic abilities, and be aware of your future intentions. As a result, the recommender should have known you (academically or professionally) for at least a year. It is also important to remember that friends, acquaintances, family members, or relatives are not permitted to submit recommendation letters because they are not familiar with the applicant’s job and thus cannot describe the applicant’s qualities.

How to draft a PhD LOR

An ideal PhD LOR should be one to two pages long and no longer than that, with five to six paragraphs in total. Begin your LOR with an introduction that refers the candidate directly to the university/college. It is simply an introduction of the recommender to the university and how long he or she has known the candidate. Along with this, the recommender should state how long he or she has known the applicant and in what capacity (time period). These concerns should be addressed in the opening paragraph. The next paragraphs of the LOR should be divided into three to four body paragraphs in which the recommender discusses certain distinct qualities/skills of the applicant, as demonstrated by instances when he/she noticed that trait in the application. The recommenders should focus on these traits:

  • Strong subject knowledge with respect to the applicant’s project/thesis topic
  • Analytical skills
  • Self-motivation and confidence
  • Responsibility
  • Time-management
  • Additional courses/knowledge applicant gained to complement his/her work in the chosen field
  • Passion and dedication towards the topic/field and towards research work
  • Research skills

The final paragraph is the conclusion. It should summarize the applicant’s aforementioned qualities/skills. Finish the LOR with a strong recommendation from the referee to the institution to accept the student’s application and grant him an acceptance letter.
To conclude, LOR is an important part of the documentation process during the application process. It adds a human touch to all the academic and professional excellence already mentioned in other documents. As a result, a LOR becomes a stage where the recommender supports and promotes your application for direct entrance to the university.