Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Recommendation

The letter of recommendation is expected to be professional, appropriate, and individualized. It is always important to understand the formatting requirements of a LOR. However, the different formats available on the internet results in confusion among the individuals. Students frequently end up using an inaccurate format, which might adversely impact the entire application.

Follow the Undermentioned Format and Guidelines for Writing an Appropriate Letter of Recommendation:

• Introduction: The first paragraph of the LOR is where you must attract the panel members’ attention and convince them to continue reading the recommendation letter. This paragraph should include a concise explanation of the recommender's credentials, such as their name, position, organization’s name, and locality. Include information about the recommender's relationship with the student, such as how long they have known him or her. This To write an attention-grabbing introduction, the recommender can include uncommon facts about the applicant and their overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications. The ending lines of this paragraph should provide an outline of the traits and characteristics that the recommender will address in the succeeding paragraphs.
• Second paragraph: In this paragraph, the recommender is expected to discuss one attribute of the applicant. Begin the paragraph by specifying one of the student's significant attributes or skills. This can include leadership, time-management, multi-tasking, communication, analytical skills, research, event planning, work ethic or another attribute that is relevant to the student. When the recommender presents these skills and attributes with a compelling and convincing example of how the recommender recognized this characteristic in the student, it will be convincible for the panel members. It is important to remember that validating a point with an example is preferable to generic content.
• Third paragraph: In this paragraph, the recommender is expected to discuss the second attribute of the applicant. The second attribute should be distinct from the previous attribute. Like the second paragraph, the recommender is expected to include an example that supports the mentioned attribute. The examples or instances mentioned by the recommender are used by the admission committee to identify the applicant's potential and make judgments. Such examples and instances also strengthen the credibility of the statements made by the recommender.
• Fourth paragraph: In this paragraph, the recommender is expected to discuss the third attribute of the applicant. Again, like the above two paragraphs include a third attribute of the applicant and explain or support it with an example of when the recommender saw that quality in action. Make each paragraph distinct by addressing various attributes or skills using different examples.
• Conclusion: In the concluding paragraph, the recommender is required to summarize the strengths of the applicant and give the candidate a strong and favorable reference. By explaining why they are a good fit for the university. The recommender can also specify their phone number, and email address and mention that they are open to providing additional information about the candidate. It is important to note that no new information should be introduced in the conclusion.

The recommender can emphasize the following attributes in a LOR: