I am sorry to categorically state here that a lot of people get confused most times on how to write a letter of recommendation for either admission into an institution of learning or for a job application. Some can go as far as asking whether the letter of recommendation or recommendation letter are two different things altogether. We shall be resolving this confusion by teaching you how best to write whether you call it a letter of recommendation or a recommendation letter.
WHAT IS A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION OR RECOMMENDATION LETTER ALL ABOUT?
Permit me to begin by reconciling the argument on the letter of recommendation and recommendation letter. For record purposes, the letter of recommendation and recommendation letters are both the same. This is a question of semantics in the English language. So, they mean one thing which is one recommending one for a job application or higher study application.
DEFINITION OF A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
A letter of recommendation can be defined as a piece of information written and sent down to an organization or an institution on behalf of an applicant by an individual of integrity vouching for the applicant’s professional, personal, and academic conduct and character. In other words, a letter of recommendation is a letter written by someone who knows one either from the academic field or from the career field, who can sell you out positively to an employer or for higher studies.
A letter of recommendation or recommendation letter should be able to briefly supply essential details of a person who can help an applicant secure a job or academic admission into an institution for higher learning.
WHO SHOULD WRITE YOUR LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION OR A RECOMMENDATION LETTER FOR YOU?
Don’t forget that one of the parameters or determining factors on who recommends you is that the person must know you very well and have worked with you or taught you over the years so as to know details about you and vouch for you. therefore, there are three individuals who should write your recommendation letter, they are
- Your High school administrator/principal
- Your university professor [s] or Administrators
- Your Boss in your workplace.
These people are believed to have if not all some measure of true and reliable vital information concerning your past, person, principles, and conduct, and their testimonies can be valid by any employer and institution of higher learning. Don’t, forget that whoever recommends you for anything stands responsible for you and can be called upon at any time by your new organization or institution in the case of issues resulting from your future actions there.
For International students desiring to study in any of the institutions in China, Canada, the UK, and the US, I recommend your high school principal/admins or university professors/admins to write your Letter of Recommendation for you. It gives you a very big advantage if they write positive comments in your favor.
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IMPORTANCE OF A RECOMMENDATION LETTERS FOR CSC, CANADA, UK, US SCHOLARSHIPS/INSTITUTIONS
Do you know that one of the most commonly requested documents for CSC, CANADA, UK, US, and other SCHOLARSHIPS/INSTITUTIONS is Your Letter of Recommendation with your admission application? I am going to shock you why they are compulsorily needed.
For CSC scholarships for instance one of the compulsory documents you must provide is your 2 letters of recommendation and their CSC admission application. The following is what your well-structured professionally written letter of recommendation can do for you:
- Your letter of recommendation stands as your most guaranteed endorsement as a serious international student with the intention of studying in that institution
- Your recommendation letter is your only academic praise singer and testifier that is capable of determining or ruining your chances with your chosen institution
- Your letter of recommendation attests to your new institution of learning of your personal qualities and how much you can contribute to the good of the institution or organization as an international student.
- Your recommendation letter stands as a guarantor between you and your new school and serves as a security measure to guarantee your stay in the institution.
- It expresses your future success in the institution from your past academic fits as expressed by your high school head or university professor you referenced.
HOW TO FORMAT A LETTER
How to format a letter simply talks about the different ways in which you can present your letter of recommendation. Format here simply means methods of writing a letter of recommendation or recommendation letter.
Before I go ahead to give you how to format a letter, make sure the requester for the letter of recommendation gives you the institution’s specific guidelines. This is for the fact that different institutions and organizations have different guidelines for writing their letter of recommendation. There are different sections and methods that must be observed when writing a letter of recommendation or recommendation letter. They are:
- Date: Every letter bears a date and it is incomplete without the date
- Receiver Name: This is the recipient’s name. For instance, the Admission officer.
- Receiver’s Title/office: This has to do with the department or faculty you are applying the applicant is applying.
- Receiver address: You must state the receiver address.
- Salutation: It is very important here you address the receiver by name.
- Writers name, position in your institution, and your relationship with the applicant. This should form the beginning of the body of your letter.
- Your Recommendation: At this point, be frank to tell them how sound the applicant is and those sterling qualities and skills that make him or her fit the position or admission into the institution.
- Site Examples or an anecdote: This has to do with being specific with those exceptional leadership or interpersonal relationship skills observed in the applicant
- Closure: At this point, summarize by making your recommendations on why the applicant should be admitted into the institution
- Contact details: Make sure you drop your contact details for the institution to contact you and follow up with the applicant.
- Signature: Seal the letter of recommendation with your signature.
NOTE: You must present all of this information in your institution and possibly the department’s letterhead paper. This makes your letter of recommendation more authentic.
Tricks On How To Write A Standard Recommendation Letter For Chinese, Canadian, UK,& US Universities
Your earnest goal and desire when writing a recommendation letter for an applicant is for the applicant to be successful and gainfully admitted or employed at the end of the day. Here are most of the tricks or tips a reviewer of your written letter of recommendation would like to see.
These are the Tricks on How To Write A Standard Recommendation Letter For Chinese, Canadian, UK,& US Universities:
- You must do thorough research on what the applicant is applying for and ask him or her to supply you with the academic program description and requirements, those exceptional skills the institution is looking for in an applicant and finally his or her resume. With this, your letter of recommendation will concentrate on the specific skills and roles required for possible admission of candidates.
- Your recommendation letter must be precise and specific in describing the personal qualities and skills of your applicant. Try your best in the simplest terms to guide the receiver to discover better those key details that may not surface in the applicant’s resume
- You must try as much as you can to say positive things that can put your referenced candidate or applicant in a better position of being chosen first amongst thousands if that be the case. An example of the sterling qualities she or he displayed while under you as a student can do the magic.
- You must keep to the instructions or guidelines stipulated by the receiver or institution the applicant is applying for and make sure you don’t say what you cannot defend about the applicant because you are vouching for him or her.
- You must be formal and concise/ what this means is that you must be brief and straight to the point because the reviewer has others to attend to and not only your candidate.
- You must make sure you submit your letter of recommendation on time since it has a 40-50% impression to make in determining whether your candidate succeeds or not. Remember that you are the endorser.
- Your letter of recommendation must be formal. Remember that a letter of recommendation is a formal letter and as such must carefully follow the rules of writing a formal letter. As a formal letter, you must use:
- A letter headed paper to write
- Your font size must be twelve12
- Use “Times New Roman or Arial” when typing the letter of recommendation.
How To Ask For a Letter Of Recommendation
Writing a letter of recommendation is no big deal for most of your teachers and professors whom you were once their student. So, asking them for this kind of favor is as simple as anything for the fact that they know you in person except if you were a bad, rough, and rugged student while with them.
However, I always advise my students to put it in writing. The whole essence of writing is to be able to put down those guidelines given by your choice of institution or organization. It is also a sign of respect for the referee and his good office but if you don’t wish to because of over-familiarity fine but I advise you to be formal and respectful too.
Begin by telling your referee that you are planning to study in the CSC, Canada, UK, US, etc and so you need his favor in recommending you. Include all the necessary details and you are good to go.
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Letter Of Recommendation Template [Sample] For Chinese, Canadian, UK, US, Others Universities
I have sampled two recommendation letter templates here, the first is without a school letterhead while the latter is with a school letterhead. Don’t forget that your letter of recommendation must be forwarded to the school of interest of the applicant written on a letterhead. See these samples below:
RECOMMENDATION LETTER SAMPLE 1
ISRAEL WILLIAMS ONYEKACHI [Ph.D.]
Director of God’s Grace International British Academy
NO. 230 Melford Okilo Road, Ekeki – Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Nigeria
The Admission Council
University Of Melton
1234 Hilton Street
Melton CA 78462
Dear Admission Council,
RE – MISS NWALI SALOMY NNEKA
With all sincerity and humility, I here attest and recommend the applicant as mentioned above. May I state here that I have known and observed her character and conduct since 9th Grade and can confidently attest to her simplicity, sincerity, perseverance, devotion to duties and assignments, carefulness to instructions and details in all ramifications, always ready to take wise counsel, and responsibility for her actions and learn on the job? She is humble and has good interpersonal relations in every sense of it.
MISS NWALI SALOMY NNEKA has a passion for reading, dancing, singing, and acting and is naturally athletic. Her secret is tied to her flexibility and determination to achieve excellence and perfection in every task.
I therefore without hesitation attest and recommend her to your institution as she is a plus to any organization and not a minus if she should be admitted. I can at any time vouch for her.
Please be free to contact me at +2347061005343 or email me @[email protected] if need be for further clarification and questioning of character and academic prowess on Nwali Sa0lomy Nneka.
Sincerely
………………………………….
DR. Israel Williams Onyekachi
[HIGH SCHOOLDIRECTOR]
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LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION SAMPLE II
