When applying for a job or higher education, students and young professionals may be required to submit a letter of recommendation from an academic institution. You can write an effective letter of recommendation for their academic reference that highlights the skills and personal qualities that make the student a highly qualified potential student or employee.
We provide two sample letters that you can use to help you write your own academic letter of recommendation and talk about how to write one.
What is an academic letter of recommendation?
A document that describes a student’s academic accomplishments, character, and goals is called an academic recommendation letter. School administrators, guidance counselors, club organizers, and coaches frequently have ample evidence of a student’s capabilities. Academic letters of recommendation that suggest how the student will fit into the new university or career are frequently written by them because they are frequently the most qualified sources.
A student’s academic letters of recommendation can be added to their transcript to help organizations learn more about the student’s personality and goals. Additionally, they can enhance a student’s school-related accomplishments by enhancing their cover letter and resume for a company.
There are several types of letters included in an academic recommendation, including:
- College recommendation letters
- Graduate school recommendation letters
- Job application recommendation letters
- Letters to gain financial aid
- Letters to gain teaching assistant employment at a university
A general letter of recommendation may be requested by the student for use in multiple applications for jobs or university admission. If not, it is preferable to address the letter to a specific individual, the admissions office of a university, or the human resources department of a company.
How to write an academic recommendation letter?
As you write a letter of recommendation for an academic position, follow these steps. Include the following information to ensure that your student stands out from other applicants in your academic recommendation letter:
- Address the letter
- Include a brief introduction
- Outline the student’s qualifications
- Describe a time that the student impressed you
- End the letter with a particular endorsement
- Provide your contact information
Here are the steps to write a letter of recommendation:
1. Address the letter
It is essential to know who will be reading your letter so that you can provide relevant information that is tailored to their program or company. Find out who the recipient of the recommendation letter is from your student. The letter should be addressed to the hiring manager or admissions director if they are applying to a specific position or school. The student should address the letter “To Whom It May Concern” if they are applying to multiple programs.
2. Include a brief introduction
Introduce yourself by describing who you are, your profession, your expertise, and your connection to the student in the first paragraph of the letter. Include your initial impressions of the student as well as how long you have known them. Make sure to also mention the position or program you recommend the student for and explain why you are writing. The reader may be more likely to trust your recommendation if you begin your letter by outlining your qualifications and intentions.
3. Outline the student’s qualifications
Next, to demonstrate your student’s academic abilities, an academic letter should include specific details about their time in school. In order to get a complete picture of the student’s qualifications, you should request a list of their accomplishments and activities, as well as their transcript or grade point average. You can express your support for the reader by talking about the following topics:
Extracurricular activities:
· Awards or recognition’s: Your student referee may exhibit consistent academic excellence or participate in academic or creative competitions. To demonstrate the student’s ability, talk about the accolades they have received or the impressive grades they have maintained.
· Academic specialties: Include the subjects or areas of expertise your student is most passionate about. This will help your reader believe that your student is truly interested in the program or position for which they are applying.
· Perspective and attitude: Include specifics about the good qualities your student possesses. People who bring a positive attitude to their workplaces or universities are often valued because it helps improve morale and working environments or academic relationships.
· Demonstration of improvement: Describe your student’s goals and talk about how they did well in class or finished a big project. These things can show that your student is working toward goals that will help the business or the university grow.
4. Describe a time that the student impressed you
Use specific anecdotes to help the university or company understand more details about the student’s personality, drive, and abilities as you highlight their character and skills. Describe the student’s circumstance, the steps they took to achieve success, and the outcomes of those steps. You can demonstrate your student referee’s ability to recognize an opportunity and take action to complete the task or improve the situation by providing an objective and a result.
5. End the letter with a particular endorsement
By making a direct connection between the student’s qualifications and the university or company to which they are applying, you can improve the effectiveness of your recommendation letter. In the conclusion of the letter of recommendation, make it clear that you have chosen to recommend the student and emphasize the student’s potential contributions to the position or program.
Consider also asking the student for additional information about the school or company and their decision to apply to complete this section of the letter. In order to accurately outline the student’s compatibility, you can also pair this useful information with your own research of the company or school.
6. Provide your contact information
Include your contact information and offer to provide any additional information the recipient may require at the conclusion of the recommendation letter. This gives your reader a better understanding of the student and gives you a chance to advocate for the student even more effectively.
Academic recommendation letter examples
Here are two examples of letters from teachers offering academic recommendations. You can use the first example as a guide to write a general letter of recommendation that a student might use for multiple applications. A student who requests a letter of recommendation for a specific school is the subject of the second illustration. These can assist you in writing your recommendation letter:
Example 1: General letter of recommendation for a college student
To whom it may concern:
For the past three years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Samantha Turner, who is pursuing a computer science undergraduate degree. I am Samantha’s academic advisor. My name is Jacob Cole. I can confidently say that Samantha will be a great addition to your business and wholeheartedly recommend her.
Samantha has impressed me with her knowledge and ambition since the first time we met in my Asgard Code Foundations class. She took part in every discussion and did extremely well in all of her assignments. Samantha was selected as the primary student assistant trainer for the programming languages training program because our programming language trainers were so impressed with her.
She has trained many students with compassion and truly commendable skills, as I have observed. She is aware of the comprehensive teaching strategy required to maintain a positive outlook on lagging students as they upgrade their skills. Your work placement program will assist her in achieving her goal of becoming a successful software engineer and developer, which I believe she has the drive to achieve.
She is among the top 5% of students in Asgard University’s coding language program. Samantha will be a significant asset to your business because she is one of the brightest students I have ever supervised.
I would be happy to talk with you more about Samantha’s abilities and charisma. I’m available by phone at 123-456-7890, or you can send me an email at jacobcole@acp.edu.
Sincerest Regards,
Jacob Cole
Program Manager,
Asgard Code Foundations
Example 2: Specific academic letter of recommendation for a high school student
Dear Mrs.Jessica,
My name is Rhea Jettley and I am the Honors Psychology instructor at Johnson Mary High School. I have had the pleasure of teaching Susan Ripley in this class, and I highly recommend her to the Monte Carlo University undergraduate education program.
It has been a privilege to collaborate with such a talented and caring student. I have witnessed her academic success over the past year while she has continued to assist her classmates. Susan offered to tutor a student outside of class when one of my students struggled to comprehend a new concept. She was successful in increasing the student’s performance and enthusiasm for the class. Additionally, she provides tutoring services to younger students at our high school and the nearby elementary school.
She has a 4.0 grade point average and is in the top 10% of her class. She has received a number of honors, among them the Caring Student of the Year Award.
Susan, in my opinion, exemplifies the principle that your university’s mission is to teach people the power of helping others. As a result, I am confident that Susan will succeed in your education program and ask for your consideration of my recommendation.
I am happy to schedule a phone call if you would like to discuss Susan’s abilities and character traits further. Please contact me via email or telephone at rheajettley@johnsonmaryhschool.edu or 123-456-7890.
Sincerely,
Rhea Jettley
Senior Psychology Teacher
Johnson Mary High School
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