• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

While you wish to enrol yourself in various universities abroad, there are certain documents required, like application forms, passport, SOP (Statement of Purpose), academic transcripts, a LOR (Letter of Recommendation), standardised study abroad exam scores, proof of financial resources, and so on.

This blog is all about the Letter of Recommendation (LOR), its format, tips you need, a sample to get an idea of how to write one and so on.

Letter of Recommendation (LOR)  

A Letter of Recommendation is a record given by your Professor, Project Guide, or a Reporting Manager with whom you have worked before. A Letter of Recommendation is fundamentally drafted by somebody trustworthy affirming for your experience, abilities, mastery, and accomplishments. It encourages an Admission Officer to acquire a superior understanding of your profile and choose whether you would be a solid match at the foundation. In short, this is the document that showcases the most impactful information and positives about the applicant from the point of view of their guide/ mentor/ supervisor /superior /faculty.

How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter

The recommendation letter should follow certain guidelines to captivate the reader. As it’s a document that is crucial for one’s future, maintaining the correct format of a recommendation letter is very important. Moreover, these guidelines will give detailed information about the applicant and the importance of the recommendation letter. So, before you get someone to write your letter of recommendation, ensure to include the below-mentioned elements.

The First Paragraph: 

The beginning of the recommendation letter should explain the relationship between the referee and the student. This paragraph should contain small details about the referee, like the profession and area of expertise. It should also clearly mention how long the referee has known about the student and in what depth.

The Two Following Paragraphs:

The next two paragraphs are all about the evaluation of the student from the perspective of the referee. There should be a line or two explaining why the referee thinks that the candidate is apt for the course. The adjacent paragraphs should slightly mention the achievements, which can be academic or otherwise. If it mentions skills, expertise, or accomplishments, it’s necessary to back the claims with examples.

The Final Paragraph:

The concluding paragraph should sum up the reasons for recommending the candidate for the university programme. Besides all of these, you should ensure that your letter of recommendation is formatted and aligned correctly with the right spacing and paragraph breaks.

Types of Letters of Recommendation

Academic Recommendation Letter:

The academic recommendation letter is for students who are in the middle of their admissions process. The student can ask for recommendation letters from their former teachers, principals, trainers deans, and any educational professionals who are familiar with the student’s academic expertise and extracurricular activities. Most universities demand at least two or three letters of recommendation during the admissions procedure.

Employment Recommendation Letter:

The employment recommendation letter is an effective way of getting yourself appointed. It includes work performance, employment history, work ethic, and individual achievements. Former or current employers or direct supervisors are most likely to write this letter. Even co-workers can write recommendation letters, but one from your employer or supervisor is preferred.

Do’s and Don’ts When Writing a Professional Letter of Recommendation

LOR Do’s

1. Always choose the right person to write a recommendation letter for you.
2. It’s more advisable to choose a referee who has known you for a long period of time. The LOR will be significantly strong if you have a referee who can mention your academic, non-academic and professional achievements.
3. The referee should be given adequate time to draft the LOR. If you can, spend quality time with the referee, which helps in creating an outline that can align perfectly with the course or profession you are applying for.
4. The letter should be written in simple and crisp English to catch the attention of the readers. Grammatical errors must be avoided.
5. The skills, abilities and accomplishments in the LOR should match your course or profession.
6. If skills have been added, they will be appreciated more when supporting details or documents are also present.
7. All of the information mentioned in the LOR should be authentic and genuine.
8. Ensure factual accuracy and add data to support those claims.
9. If there is a word limit in the LOR, adhere to it.
10. Follow the specified format and font while writing the LOR.

LOR Don’ts

1. Never try to write LOR on your own using somebody else’s image. It will be considered illegal.
2. Don’t try to get a recommendation letter from a person who doesn’t know anything about you, such as your educational or professional accomplishments.
3. Don’t wait until the last minute to send the letter of recommendation to the institution.
4. The content should be plagiarism-free. Only use the content from the web for reference. The skills and achievements mentioned in the LOR should not be exaggerated.

An ideal LOR is supposed to demonstrate aspects/perspectives of your personality not mentioned in your SOP or resume. Thus, an ideal recommender is the one who knows you well, has personally witnessed the quality of work delivered by you, and readily agreed to provide specific instances of your valued contribution and excellence.

The submission of application documents depends on the university. Nowadays, most universities have introduced online application and submission processes. However, they may be a few universities that require a hardcopy of all your documents. You can check this on the respective university website and accordingly plan your submission. If you have to send the hard copies of the drafts then it is recommended to apply at least two weeks before the university deadline.

India’s largest online platform Yourpedia global can play a very significant role in helping the candidates to prepare good Letter of Recommendation and also in preparing candidates for the study abroad by guiding and explain the whole procedure of finding the best institute in foreign countries with minimum spending of money, it can also guide properly to the students that from where and how they can get maximum scholarships for their studies in abroad.