Asking for Reference Letters
I enjoy writing letters of reference for my best students because it gives me a chance to reflect on the skills and abilities I have personally witnessed. I put a lot of effort into each letter I write and therefore writing letters is a time-consuming process. If you want me to write a letter of reference for you, I need you to help me by following these steps. I suspect your other references will appreciate you doing these things for them as well, but ask them if there is anything special you can do to make the process easier on them.
1. Make sure I will have at least two weeks to write the letters before they have to be mailed/delivered.
2. Approach Dr. Fortner-Wood during her office hours.
a. Remind her in which class(es)/situations she has worked with you. b. Remind her if she has written letters for you before and, if so, for what.
c. Ask her if she is willing/able to write letters of recommendation by the due date. d. Tell her what type of program(s) to or position for which you are applying.
3. When giving Dr. Fortner-Wood reference letter materials for each program/position, be sure to do the following:
a. Organize the materials in a folder or envelope to be sure all pieces stay together. If requesting several letters, please separate materials by institution and paper clip materials for each institution together.
b. Complete all questions on the forms you possibly can including i. Your name
ii. Name of program/position to/for which you are applying iii. Your decision to waive/not waive your rights to view the letter (if
applicable)
iv. Name of reference (Dr. Cheryl Fortner-Wood) v. Title of reference (Associate Professor, Psychology)
vii. My Phone (803-323-2641) viii. My Fax (803-323-2371)
ix. My E-mail ([email protected])
x. How long have I known you/the applicant (in years). c. Be sure to give an envelope for each letter and do the following:
i. Provide Dr. Fortner-Wood’s return address on each envelope. ii. Be sure to put the correct name and full address for the institution to
which the letter is to be sent.
iii. Place appropriate postage on each envelope (if necessary). iv. Using a post-it, indicate on each envelope the date by which the
letter must be postmarked, faxed, e-mailed, or picked up by you (not received) as well as if the letter is to be mailed by me or by you.
v. Write “re: your name” in the bottom left corner of each envelope just in case your materials are mixed up with those of other students.
d. Be sure to indicate what experiences or qualities you would like Dr. Fortner-Wood to highlight in her letters. This should be a list of activities in which she knows you have participated and/or qualities you know she has witnessed in working with you. You can highlight these on your vita/resume.
4. Let Dr. Fortner-Wood the results of your applications.
How to Write a Letter of Recommendation for Medical
School Admissions
gain admission. The perspective you provide in your letter can be influential in determining whether a student has a successful application.
Therefore, we have put together these guidelines to help you think about the task before you.
When a student asks you to write a letter of recommendation, know that you are not obligated to do so, and decide whether you can write enthusiastically enough to be helpful to the student. Since the vast majority of recommendations are positive, those that are neutral are interpreted as negative and can impair a student’s chances for admission. If your honest evaluation may handicap a student, and if you are uncomfortable writing favorably, you have every right to decline a student’s request for a letter.
In writing, please be as specific as possible. General descriptions of a student’s positive qualities are not as useful as detailed examples that illustrate the student’s abilities and achievements. A statement like “John is a brilliant thinker” is quite flattering, but it becomes more convincing if more details are added: “John is a brilliant thinker. For my class at Penn, he submitted an extraordinary fifty-page term paper on women and medicine in early modern England. After determining what practices were available to women in that period, he analyzed the representations of female physicians in the drama of the English Renaissance. His literary interpretation was original and elegantly written.”
This same level of specificity is important in discussing non-academic matters too. Take, for instance, the following statement: “John’s commitment to the Narberth Ambulance Squad and to the people we serve is extraordinary.” The medical schools would find this assessment all the more useful if more information were added, such as: “John’s commitment to the Narberth Ambulance Squad and to the people we serve is extraordinary. While most of our volunteers live within the township, John commutes 45 minutes each way from Philadelphia by bus and by train for each of his shifts. And his record of attendance is perfect. This conscientious behavior is typical of the way he conducts himself.”
Try to compare the student to others you have known in a similar capacity. Statements like, “In terms of intellectual talent and drive, John ranks in the top 10% of all undergraduate students I have taught over the past seven years,” can help an admissions committee place your recommendation into a broader context.
Admissions committees often interpret omissions of relevant information as implicitly negative. For example, if you praise a student’s academic work but say nothing about him/her as a person, an admissions officer may conclude that the student is smart but socially inept. Therefore, it is ideal to try to touch on the following topics in any letter of recommendation: the student’s intellectual strengths, level of motivation, personal character, commitment to medicine, and interpersonal skills. Of course, your ability to comment on these topics will vary depending on how you know the student.“John worked hard but his exams were never quite up to snuff,” can give an admissions committee pause. If you have serious concerns about a student, whether of an academic or personal nature, then it may be better to ask the student to look elsewhere for a
recommendation.
If you wish to give a thoughtful evaluation of a student’s weaknesses (as well as his/her strengths), please try to couple it with an explanation of how they will not interfere with the student’s ability to perform well in medical school.
Please omit references to the student’s appearance, as they trivialize the recommendation. If you want to discuss personal charm, which is frequently a relevant asset, describe its effect on others. For example: “John’s warmth and sense of humor naturally draw others toward him and help make him a welcome participant in our laboratory’s weekly meetings.”
Unless the student requests otherwise, please do not address your letter to a particular medical school. In most cases, your letter will be sent to every medical school to which the student applies.
Federal law stipulates that students can see letters of recommendation unless they waive their right in advance. The student’s decision as to whether your letter will be confidential or non-confidential will be designated on the form he or she gives to you. Most students choose to waive their right, since the medical schools generally find confidential letters to be more convincing and compelling. However, if you, as the author of a confidential letter, wish to show a copy to the student, that is absolutely your right.
Please type your letter of recommendation. You may type it directly onto the recommendation form, or print it onto a separate page and attach it to the form.How to Write a Letter of Recommendation
for Business School Admissions
Recommendation letters are often used by students during college
admissions or by jobseekers seeking employment. Many colleges prefer that applicants supply at least two letters of recommendation during the
admissions process. If you want to truly enhance your application,
recommendation letters should be written by someone who knows you very well.
applicant's general promise as a student of business. The more the
evaluation reflects real knowledge of the applicant and his/her performance, the more useful the letter is to the business school admissions committees and thus to the applicant. The letter should address the following:
Interpersonal skills and leadership ability: How effective is the candidate in establishing and maintaining relationships? How well does he or she work with and/or through supervisors, peers and subordinates? How do you assess the applicant's ability to lead, ability to delegate responsibility, sensitivity to those less competent and potential for future success as an administrator? Has the applicant demonstrated willingness to work in a team environment?
Personal achievements: Has the applicant sought or created opportunities to make use of his or her native ability and how effectively has he/she exploited it? How do the applicant's achievements compare to those of his/her peers?
Candidate's insight into his or her own assets andliabilities: Will the applicant accept constructive criticism? Will he/she accept a challenge with self-confidence, admit mistakes and ask for help when needed?
Intellectual qualifications: What is your assessment of the applicant's analytical skills and ability to grasp new ideas? Has the applicant's academic record been affected by any specialcircumstances such as work or academic background? Does the applicant have the ability to apply his/her knowledge creatively?
Ability to communicate: Is the applicant an effective writer? Does the written work submitted demonstrate a mastery of theconventions of English? Is the written material clear, well-organized and forceful? Is the applicant articulate in oral expression?
Industry and self-discipline: To what extent does the applicant possess the traits of persistence, efficiency and motivation? Is there any reason to doubt the applicant's diligence as a student?
Potential for the study of business: What is your prediction of the applicant's probable performance in the study of business? How well do you think the applicant has thought out plans for graduate study? Among others recommended for business school, how does this candidate rate?
Is there any other information about the applicant which you would like to share with admissions committees?
How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?
Please give an example of the applicant's impact on a person, group, or organization.
Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people.
Which of the applicant's personal or professional characteristics would you change?
Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.Nowadays, recommenders may submit recommendations either online or through the mail.
Free Sample Letter of Recommendation in Engineering
Dear Sir or Madam:
As the dean of Electronics Engineering College of Heilongjiang University, Mr. Lynd Dong's teacher as well, I fully recommend Mr. Lynd Dong, once my student, to further his major study in your University. First of all, I'd like to tell you that Dong is one of the most excellent students whom I have met in our department. Impressed by his versatility, I am also especially touched by his conscientious way of study and splendid academic records. I taught him such courses as electronic circuit and computer
fundamentals, during which he showed himself as being active in thinking and original in viewpoint. And after class he often came to visit me to discuss problems, some of which seemed to go beyond the teaching program though. Dong operated experiments effectively, for which he, as the only student representative, was admitted into the teachers' scientific research to develop railway communications system.
Mr. Dong is diligent and intelligent. Our department implements difficult courses and strict exams, for which many students fail in the exams. Dong nevertheless remains the top 3% among his classmates, occupying the No. 1 position in the comprehensive ranking upon graduation. Once nearly half of the students failed in Mathematical Method, while Dong scored 97, impressing many teachers.
In short, Mr. Dong, as an outstanding young man, has showed great potentialities in academic learning. He will surely be the pillar of the state if he gets enrollment in your University for further study. I strongly recommend him and will appreciate your assistance to his application. Should you need any further information about this promising young man, please feel free to contact me.
Yours sincerely, Ph.D. of HIT
Professor of Heilongjiang University
Free Sample Letter of Recommendation in Science
To whom it may concern,
As the Director of the Department of Computer Sciences of Wuhan University of Technology, which is one of the most prestigious engineering universities in China, I deem it a pleasure to recommend Mr. Nathan Wang, one of the outstanding students in our department for admission and assistantship you're your graduate program
Since his enrollment into our department with remarkable entrance scores, Wang has embodied the fine character of strong inquisition and industriousness in learning, which has gained him significant academic success during his college years. I am aware of his distinctive academic performance as reflected in his transcripts. He maintains a very high GPA that places him in the top 5% out of 150 through the past 3 years, winning scholarships of the department almost every year. In the College English Speech Contest organized by the Teaching Committee of Hubei Province, he excelled most of other contestants, winning the first prize in the Region-wide preliminary contest, and the third prize in the final of the provincial level, being the sole participant representing our university.
I have also discovered him to be perseverant and enthusiastic in studies and extracurricular activities. During the Military Life Experiencing period, a compulsory training program for all Chinese college freshmen upon their immediate entrance, he was granted the title of Excellent Trainee thanks to his painstaking training efforts, though the training was extraordinarily rigorous and demanding. In the past college years, he has enthusiastically taken part in many students' societies, such as Computer Society, Road to American English and Literature Garden, etc, which has both seen his versatility and organizing ability by serving in quite a few positions.
coordination and the contestants' performance evaluation had won him the honorable title of Active Organizing Participant specially granted by our department for this important occasion. In the second one of Science and Culture Week, organized in our school in 1999, he was a chief organizer. And it was so successful that it attracted more than one thousand students to participate, who were all satisfied with this event for the opportunity of a better understanding of the past and future of science in China. As the Director, I am deeply impressed and moved by his capability of organizing and his sense of involvement, which have been explicitly demonstrated through all his participation in these activities A bright young man, with blazing intelligence, energy, and determination, Mr. Wang deserves my first-rate recommendation. Thus, I would unqualifiedly recommend him for admission into the Ph. D. program at your university and I will appreciate your sincere assistance to his admission.
