You must be aware at this point that one of the key elements of your application is your letter of recommendation. Your equation and association with the recommender play a key role in selecting the best recommender. The person you choose as your recommender must be able to effectively articulate and defend your candidacy, ideally with the help of examples and anecdotes. Certain qualities, project work, and examples that can be highlighted in the recommendation must be well understood by the recommender. Also, it’s important to provide value to the LOR by not just mentioning the instances but also how they are presented.

All of your LORs should ideally contain unique content, which is a part of the LOR that is of utmost importance while creating the LOR.
This means that you must include original anecdotes about your experiences and qualifications from both school and work.
Thus, pick two recommenders who can provide a comparable viewpoint from two quite different instances of your association.

To elaborate, suppose we’re discussing about a LOR for an MS course.
If you’ve submitted two Academic LORs, you’ll need two recommenders who can speak about two quite distinct topics.
For example, one of your instructors could discuss your learning during your internship, while the other could discuss one of your lectures or workshops.

For example, if one of your recommenders says, “ABC’s technical as well as managerial skills were demonstrated during one of his projects titled ‘Enhancing Efficiency of Screw Press Oil Expeller Roller,’ where he proved his expertise in problem-solving, innovation, design, and manufacturing,” the other recommenders must present some of your other accomplishments.

You need to inform your recommenders of this even when you are preparing your professional LORs for MBA courses.
For instance, if the recommender states, “I remember when we were talking about some technological options and modifications to the fundamental design of our product, ABC voraciously read several internet journals, firm operations profiles, and user-interaction information.
This helped us in choosing the best architecture solution for the application’s availability and performance while focusing on the requirements of the intended user.
Early decision-making helped us save a great deal of time and effort, and ABC was essential to achieving this. Even if they are from the same organization, the other recommenders must make it a point not to include this case.
Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, the format for MBA LOR would only differ in content from that of an MS LOR.

Format of a Letter of Recommendation

A basic letter of recommendation can be divided into 5 paragraphs. The letter of recommendation must have the following sections:

  • Date
  • Name of the recipient
  • Recipient title
  • Address of the recipient
  • Greeting
  • Personal introduction: Start the body of your letter by introducing who you are and what is your relationship with the applicant
  • Recommendation: What makes an applicant a good fit? You can provide specific examples of skills or qualifications
  • Closing
  • Contact information
  • Signature

How to write a good LOR?

Given below are some of the tips on how to write an LOR. These will help the LOR stand out in front of the admission officers, potential employers, or anyone who is going to review the letter.

  • The given information should be accurate and relevant
  • Avoid copying from online samples. The Admissions Committee is very strict when it comes to plagiarism. Take inspiration, do not copy!
  • The recommender should write positive traits about the individual
  • The language and composition of the LOR should be simple and lucid
  • During the final brush-up of your LOR, take a close look at all the grammatical mistakes and rectify them
  • The most important aspect of an impressive LOR is that the sentences are short and on point. Lengthy sentences tend to break the flow of the LOR and fail to convey the crux of what is stated, to the reader
  • LORs should be crisp and written in not more than 500-600 word limit, fitting one page
  • In a professional LOR, ‘discuss’ the role and responsibilities of the individual and highlight the traits displayed. Do not ‘describe’ job responsibilities, or else it would sound more like a CV rather than a LOR.
  • The recommender should have known you for at least six months
  • It is also important to provide the accurate contact details of the recommender

Some detailed tips on how to write a LOR

  • Do your own research: The recommenders may request that the candidates give the academic program requirements or job description, their resume, and any specific achievements or qualifications that they wish to emphasize. This allows one to focus on what abilities and qualifications are genuinely required for the post for which the applicant is applying.
  • Be specific: The recommenders may ask candidates to provide the academic program requirements or job description, their resume, and any specific achievements or qualifications that they desire to highlight.
    This enables one to concentrate on what skills and qualifications are truly required for the position for which the applicant is applying.
  • Stay positive: This applicant should be a good contender for the position to which they are applying, according to the recommendation letter. Exude strong excitement, and stay away from any remarks that might paint the candidate in a negative light.
  • Follow the instructions: Note that a recommender is vouching for a specific applicant through a letter of recommendation. Thus, make sure to properly follow the submission guidelines and send the letter on time.
  • Use active voice: Use the active voice rather than the passive voice when writing sentences in a letter of recommendation to give it a strong appearance. Also, doing so will make the letter of recommendation seem cleaner and more focused.
  • LORs should have a very accurate assessment of the applicant’s eligibility and suitability: This implies that a letter of recommendation needs to specifically mention an applicant’s eligibility and suitability for the course or program of study. In a way, the recommender should sound less like an advocate and place a greater emphasis on suitability. For instance, the recommender should mention your academic performance, such as if you graduated in the top 3 or top 1% of your university or class.
  • Do not specify any grades or scores of competitive tests: A strong letter of recommendation (LOR) should avoid mentioning any grades or test results unless it’s necessary to interpret specific academic information. Repeating information that is already in your application in your LOR is a big no.
  • Do not mention any private information: Any private or sensitive information on the applicant should only be mentioned in a letter of recommendation if it is relevant or is thought to be absolutely necessary.

What are the Skills to be Highlighted in LOR?

A person may have a variety of skill sets that might be emphasized while recommending them. Unfortunately, it is hard to include all of these characteristics in a one-page essay. So, it should not be given much thought as to which skills should be listed in the LOR. The talents that can be highlighted in a LOR are listed below.

For an Academic Letter of Recommendation

  • Teamwork skills
  • Academic performance
  • Passion
  • Leadership ability
  • Awards and recognition
  • Analytical research skills

For a Professional Letter of Recommendation

  • Decision-making skills
  • Summary of job responsibilities
  • Time management and multi-tasking
  • Management abilities and strengths
  • Ability to overcome challenges
  • Ability to come up with innovative and creative ideas
  • Leadership abilities
  • Teamwork skills
  • Qualities like reliability and integrity

FAQs

  • Q. How to write a good LOR?
    To write a good letter of recommendation, make sure it contains a brief explanation of you and your recommender’s relationship, an accurate assessment of the applicant’s suitability and eligibility, applicant’s unique contributions, etc.
  • Q. How can one make a letter of recommendation appear strong?
    A good letter of recommendation should focus on the applicant’s accomplishments, attitude, motivation level, reliability, consistency, and other such skills. This will help the applicant’s letter of recommendation stand out.
  • Q. Is 500-word LOR too long?
    A good letter of recommendation should not be too long. Meaning, it should not exceed one page or 500 words.
  • Q. What are the mistakes that one should avoid making in a letter of recommendation?
    Some of the mistakes to avoid in a letter of recommendation are being unoriginal in the letter, using politically incorrect statements, using an informal tone, and writing irrelevant information and facts. Even though it is important to explain as to why one is qualified to write the letter of recommendation, mention your role in the life of the applicant and how long you have known him / her, as a recommender. Do not write about your own career path.
  • Q. How can one make the letter of recommendation stand out?
    To make the letter of recommendation stand out, explain why as a recommender you are qualified to recommend the applicant. In short, make sure to clearly state at the beginning of the letter who you are and why your opinion matters. Also, while you want others to understand the applicant’s past achievements, make sure to add why these achievements make him / her a good fit for a role in which an applicant is applying. Finally, add specific anecdotes and examples about the applicant and demonstrate the qualities of the candidate.
  • Q. What do admission officers look for in a Letter of Recommendation (LOR)?
    Admission officers want to learn about the applicant’s personal qualities and strengths from the recommenders. These personal qualities may include integrity, thoughtfulness, humour, and passion. The two most important traits that admission officers value are leadership skills and strength of a character.
  • Q. How long should a letter of recommendation be?
    An LOR should be of one page, in length. In other words, it should be completed within 400-500 words. It generally consists of three parts, introduction, body and conclusion.
  • Q. What is the best way to end a letter of recommendation?
    The closing of the letter of recommendation should briefly summarize the points a recommender will mention in the body. It should reiterate briefly why you are recommending the applicant for a particular position, course, or any other opportunity. A LOR should be written in such a language that is straightforward and to the point.
  • Q. What does a good LOR may look if it is coming from a professor?
    A good letter of recommendation from a professor must have meaningful, vivid stories, and examples that demonstrate your outstanding qualities. If you have any ideas about what should be there in a LOR, make sure to tell them to your recommender. In addition, your recommenders should also include their own stories that reveal who you are and what kind of a person admission officers can expect to show up at their college.