HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
 When
students apply to undergraduate or graduate programs in America, the application
process usually includes at least two recommendations from teachers or
professors who can honestly evaluate the student's academic ability and
potential as a scholar. These letters count a lot in making the decision
on whether or not to accept the student so it is 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 honest with the student
and tell them to ask someone else if what you have to say is going to hurt
their chances of acceptance.
Find 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
letter should include:
1.
Your status - position at the university or job title. How long have you
known the student and in what capacity (as a teacher, an adviser, a research
supervisor, etc.)
2.
The better you know the student, the more effective your recommendation
will be. They want specifics, NOT generalizations. It is good to say that
someone is hardworking and organized, but you need to back up these statements
with concrete examples. "Julia is a hardworking student. Her research project
on unemployment in Akademgorodok 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 her or him special? Why do you think this student would
benefit from studying in the U.S.?
3.
Evaluate the student by comparing him or her with other students you have
observed in your work. The following is a suggestion of categories you
may wish to use for comparison. You can use phrases such as excellent,
very good, average, or below average.
-
Intellectual
Ability
-
Teaching
Potential
-
Knowledge
of Field
-
Resourcefulness
and Initiative
-
Motivation
to Pursue Graduate Study
-
Potential
for Significant Future Contribution in Field
-
Work Habits
-
Seriousness
of Purpose
-
Emotional
Maturity
-
Adaptability
to New Situations
4.
Quantify your impressions. Is the student in the top 5% of his or her classmates,
top 10%, 25%, 50%?
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 student's ability to participate in the program.
Technically, students are not supposed
to see the recommendations. Obviously it is difficult for Ukrainians to
follow this rule because the student must ensure that everything is mailed.
Most schools ask that the recommender put the letter in an envelope, seal
it shut, and sign over the seal.
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