Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation

Office of Fellowships and Undergraduate ResearchRice University

To Say Yes or No

Reasons to say “no”:

Your support of or knowledge about the student does not match the opportunity

You lack sufficient time to write a thoughtful letter

You have a performance-specific reason not to support the student

The student approaches you in an unprofessional manner

You have a suggestion for an alternative reference better suited to the student and the opportunity

Set Expectations

• Establish a minimum deadline for requesting a letter

• In writing or a meeting, obtain a description of the opportunity, student’s reasons for applying, and future plans

• Have the student explain why he has asked you to write a letter for this specific opportunity and what he feels you contribute to his overall dossier

• Ask the student to do a self-evaluation of his strengths relative to his own expectations for your letter

• Ask for further information if needed

Be Efficient

Develop a template• Introduction: conveys your level of support for the student, explains

how you know the student and for how long, and lists the characteristics/transferable skills you have seen that suggest the student’s fit for the opportunity

• Body paragraphs: provide specific examples of the student displaying those characteristics

• Conclusion: summarizes your endorsement, may assume a more personal tone

Create boilerplate contextual information• Specific details about the reputation of your program, the expectations

of students, the nature of students who major in your program, etc.

• The content of a program that you lead, objectives, number and nature of projects, etc.

• A brief relevant summary of your background—both personal and professional.

Speak to the Criteria

• The Udall Scholarship expects students to be concerned about environmental public policy.

• The NSF Fellowship considers the value and efficacy of a student’s research project.

• The Fulbright Scholarship expects the student to have a maturity of character for successful study abroad.

• The Rhodes Scholarship and Marshall Scholarship selectors desire a “British level of evaluative candor” from letter writers.

When writing a character reference for an academic opportunity, address transferable skills.

• Analytical thinking

• Problem solving ability

• Creativity

• Work ethic

• Communication and presentation skills

• Ability to work as a team member

• Success in overcoming obstacles

Details, Details, Details

• Situate praise in specific examples of students doing and acting

• Put the reader “in the moment” with the student

• Avoid hyperbole and cliché—let the actions speak for themselves

• Choose superlatives relevant to the behavior/action

• Stay within the scope of your experience with the student

THE RESULT: you demonstrate thoughtful assessment rather than arbitrary or generic evaluation and enhance the credibility of your evaluation.

To Criticize or Not to Criticize

Depends on the circumstances • Evident weakness in the file

• Student has plan in place to improve

• Opportunity asks for a holistic eval

Requires context

• Why are you sharing this information? Have you shared it with the student?

• Avoid the highly negative, ambiguous, or unexplained

• Limit comments to one sentence or brief paragraph

Avoid

• Sloppy presentation of material

• Too much information about you or opportunity for which the student is applying

• A generic letter with no specifics about the student or a letter praising the student beyond credibility

• “Coded” language or seeming criticism through omission of expected information

• Unethical practice of asking students to write a letter that you sign

Source

Schall, J., Ten Ideas for Improving Letter Writing.https://www.e-education.psu.edu/writingrecommendationlettersonline/node/138.