Letter of recommendation for admission to a master's program. Expert assistance with admission to master's programs at the world's best universities and business schools

Earnings 30.05.2023

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[Updated 09/2018]

What is important for the admissions committee of a foreign university when your grades, motivation letter and CV have already been reviewed? What will give them additional information about you to make an admission decision?

At this stage, the decisive role is often played letter of recommendation- a document that is not inferior in importance to a motivation letter, and, other things being equal, can tilt in your favor if the recommendation is correctly presented.

In my considerable experience of working with applicants for master’s programs abroad, I realized that in Russian universities there is no culture of preparing for students letter of recommendation or reference. In most cases, the teacher simply offers to sign the letter written by the student. And the student, who previously had to prepare a whole package of documents, must also write letters of recommendation for himself. And very few manage to avoid repetition, cliched phrases and too vague characteristics (because all the best goes into the motivation letter!).

Wherein, in the West, letters of recommendation are treated with great respect- both when writing (the teacher you contact for a recommendation will take it as an honor and will be ready to take the time to prepare a solid letter), and when reviewing (in addition to your personal presentation of your successes and achievements, it is important for the commission to receive an assessment from the outside) .

How important is a letter of recommendation in a set of documents?
For the admissions committee, recommendations are additional information about the applicant, which can confirm or supplement data from other documents. And this information is very important, because it is provided on behalf of those who saw you “at work.”

To help those who are currently enrolling in a master's program abroad, I have prepared a number of tips on drawing up recommendations. Use them and you can prepare a solid document that will complement your application for admission!

1. Selection of referents

Behind the scenes, the higher status from the referent, the more solid the letter of recommendation will look. The admissions committee of any university or scholarship fund will definitely pay attention to this.
But at the same time, a more important criterion is that How well does the referee really know you? and can assess your potential. If you choose between the dean of the faculty who did not teach you a single course, and the teacher who taught you a number of disciplines throughout all your years of study, choose the second one. Such a letter of recommendation looks much more respectable in the eyes of the admissions committee.
And of course, try to choose teacher in one of your key subjects or in the specialty for which you are going to enroll. For example, a common mistake of applicants is to take a recommendation from an English teacher. This is fundamentally wrong, since the commission wants to know not how well you have learned English (for this there is official confirmation through international language exams), but how much you have knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the program. The only case when it is relevant to choose a language teacher as a referent is if you are enrolling in philology or a similar specialty.

As a result, if, when choosing a referent, you manage to combine all 3 conditions, as described above, then the letter of recommendation will be the most advantageous.

2.1 How to prepare text easier

If the teacher told you to prepare the text yourself, then the easiest way for you to do this is to collecting opinions from outside. Even your classmates, friends, colleagues can help you with this - those who know you and can appreciate your potential and your personal qualities. Ask what, in their opinion, are your strengths, what would they emphasize when characterizing you? If it’s uncomfortable to ask this question directly, then do a small online survey (iQuestionnaire, SurveyMonkey, etc.) and simply send it to your friends, explaining why you need it. Once you have collected several opinions, you will already have a basis for your letters of recommendation.
Otherwise, if you rely only on your perception, then it will be difficult for you to prepare both your motivation letter and two recommendations at once. Even if this is successful, you can almost always understand that all documents were written by one person.

Make a plan, in which you will briefly outline what details you will include in each of the letters: in the motivational essay, in both letters of recommendation. Of course, some information will overlap in all documents, but since it is assumed that all 3 letters were prepared from different persons, accordingly, the angles, method of presentation, expressions, etc. should be different. Having a general plan will make it easier for you to understand what to include in your own motivation letter and what to leave for each of the recommendations.

- Specific examples
A very common mistake in recommendations is to list all possible laudatory characteristics, separated by commas, without giving any examples (we very often see the following formulation in letters: “the student has proven himself to be capable, talented, hardworking, thoughtful, with high potential and leadership qualities”). This is the “dead” weight of the letter, which has almost no value in the eyes of the commission.
To bring these characteristics to life, it is imperative to provide specific examples to support them. If it is written that the student is goal-oriented, this needs to be explained; if the teacher believes that the student has leadership qualities, it must be proven; If he recommends continuing your studies in a master's program, you need to clarify why. Examples make the characteristics truly credible.

- Information about successes, achievements relevant to the selected program
The volume of a letter of recommendation is usually 1 page of text, so there is simply no room to list all the merits, successes and characteristics. That is why the text of the letter must be tailored to the requirements of the program.
If, for example, you are enrolling in finance, then special emphasis should be placed on analytical skills, the ability to work with numbers and analyze a large amount of information. Usually, the websites of the programs themselves indicate which qualities are primarily important for applicants.

- Characteristics of professional and personal qualities
The fact that you have well-developed analytical skills, you can absorb a huge amount of professional material, and have an excellent command of research methods, etc. - this is what interests the admissions committee in the first place. But, having received this information, the commission members want to know what kind of person is coming to them. This is a potential future representative and face of our university - how well does he fit our culture, the image of our university? Therefore, in letters of recommendation it is very important to indicate personal qualities - how well you can work in a team or individually, how developed are your communication skills... This information should logically complement your profile, and of course, should correlate with what you wrote in your motivation letter.

3.1 Allow more time than expected to prepare recommendations
(very often you will need to additionally either agree on the text with the teacher, who may be away, or wait for a signature and seal in the dean’s office for a whole week)

3.2 Check in advance in what form letters of recommendation are required to be provided to all universities where you are applying:
- in a free format or in a special form of the university of your choice,
— is it enough to upload a scan of the recommendations online or do you need to send the originals by mail,
— Is it possible to upload letters yourself or can only the teacher do this through his official university email.
It is better to find out all this in advance in order to immediately understand how many sets of documents to prepare and in what format, and agree with the teachers accordingly.

3.3 After you have fully prepared all the main documents (motivation letter, CV and recommendations), check how logically all the information is connected, whether there are any discrepancies or excessive repetition. This is a ‘reality check’ before sending a set of documents.

Comprehensive information on each document for admission (motivation letter, essay for business schools, letters of recommendation, resume), on how to choose a program and correctly prepare the entire application - in an online course from our experts

Imagine the situation: you are a student and you urgently need a letter of recommendation for some occasion ( Letter of Recommendation or Recommendation Letter). How to start this, where to start? Introduced? Great! In this article you will learn how to write a letter of recommendation to a student in English. What is a letter of recommendation?

The task is not simple, but not the most difficult either. Having familiarized yourself with the main points of writing a letter of recommendation, with examples of its writing, very soon you will be able to write as many letters of recommendation as you need. The main thing is to be careful and follow our advice.

Let's first figure out what a letter of recommendation is and what it comes with. As a rule, a letter of recommendation is a kind of document that represents a review of a person by his former manager or employee. If a letter of recommendation is needed by a student from a place of practice, for admission to a master’s program or for another reason, then, as a rule, it is written by a teacher, dean, group supervisor, fellow students, etc.

Thus, the letter of recommendation is written by the recommender. For a graduate, a person without work experience, a professor or dean of the faculty can act as a recommender. The letter of recommendation may contain a brief description of the person’s educational skills and qualities, achievements, his main successes during his studies, and strengths.

If you decide to help your student and write a letter of recommendation for him, then ask him to provide some information in writing:

His interests, extracurricular activities, hobbies and his achievements in this (for example, he is the captain of a sports team);
Information about why he wants to apply for a particular job, why he is interested in this area, whether he is ready for this;
Recipient's address and stamped envelope.

We bring to your attention a number of main points, following which you can easily cope with a letter of recommendation for a student.

Introduction

In this part we write about who and where exactly we recommend. How well we know a given student, how he manifests himself in and outside of school. If you are a teacher, then it is appropriate to indicate your academic degree, etc. here.

Characteristics of activity

At this point, it is important to write not only about studies. Perhaps your student proved himself in some other way: worked as a laboratory assistant, secretary, substituted for you at lectures, or other options. More details and specifics. But do not exaggerately praise the student; the admissions committee will not accept this.

Personal qualities

It is important to mention what qualities are inherent in this person: attentiveness, hard work, etc. Again, details and specifics are welcome. It is necessary to write the truth; you should not reward a student with traits that he does not possess.

Summarize the letter by highlighting the most important characteristics and give a verdict, draw a conclusion.

So, you already know the basic rules, let's move on to writing the letter itself!
Sample of writing a letter of recommendation to a student in English

Mr. Anders!
John Fonteyn was a student of our college since the 2000 semester. He was always an outstanding student.
Mr. Fonteyn demonstrated his full grasp of the subject matter in his class performance as well as in written work. His assignments were always executed with punctuality and talent. Moreover, he was an enthusiastic participant in class discussions and helped to make the courses rewarding experiences for everyone. He is a hard-working, patient and responsible man.
Therefore, I can recommend Mr. Fonteyn, surely and without any hesitation, for the position of assistant in your travel agency.
Yours truly, Mr. Johns, Boston College

And here is this example with translation:

Mister Anders!
John Fontaine has been a student at our college since 2000. He was always an outstanding student.
Mr. Fontaine demonstrated complete mastery of subject material, both in class and in written work. His work has always been distinguished by punctuality and talent. Moreover, he was an active participant in class discussions and helped make the course an enriching experience for everyone. He is a hardworking, patient and responsible person.
Therefore, I can recommend Mr. Fontaine, confidently and without any hesitation, as an assistant in your travel agency.
Sincerely, Mr. Jones, Boston College

Use this example as a tracing paper and try to write your own.

As you can already see, writing a letter of recommendation in English is not that difficult. Go for it, friends, and you will succeed!

World universities and business schools. Key tips for writing a letter of recommendation:

1. Selection of referents (those on whose behalf the letter of recommendation will be written)

2.1 How to prepare text easier

Make a plan, in which you will briefly outline what details you will include in each of the letters: in the motivational essay, in both letters of recommendation. Of course, some information will overlap in all documents, but since it is assumed that all 3 letters were prepared from different persons, accordingly, the perspectives should be different. Having a general outline will make it easier for you to know what to include in your own essay and what to leave for each of the recommendations.

- Specific examples
A very common mistake in recommendations is to list all possible laudatory characteristics separated by commas, without giving any examples (I often see in letters: “the student has proven himself to be capable, talented, hardworking, thoughtful, with high potential and leadership qualities”). This is a dead weight letter that has almost no impact on the commission.
To bring these characteristics to life, it is imperative to provide specific examples. If it is written that the student is goal-oriented, this needs to be explained; if the teacher believes that the student has leadership qualities, it must be proven; If he recommends continuing your studies in a master's program, you need to clarify why. Examples make the characteristics truly credible.

- Characteristics of professional and personal qualities
The fact that you have well-developed analytical skills, you can absorb a huge amount of professional material, and have an excellent command of research methods, etc. - this is what interests the admissions committee in the first place. But, having received this information, the commission members want to know what kind of person is coming to them. This is a potential future representative and face of our university - how well does he suit our culture, the image of our university? Therefore, in letters of recommendation it is very important to indicate personal qualities - how well you can work in a team or individually, how developed are your communication skills... This information should logically complement your profile, and of course, should correlate with what you wrote in your motivation letter.

3.2 Check in advance in what form letters of recommendation are required to be provided to all universities where you are applying:
- in a free format or in a special form of the university of your choice,
- is it enough to scan the recommendations online or do you need to send the originals by mail,
- Is it possible to upload letters yourself or can only the teacher do this through his official university email.
It’s better to find out all this in advance so that you can immediately understand how many sets of documents to prepare and in what format.

3.3 After you have fully prepared all the main documents (motivation letter, CV and recommendations), check how logically all the information is connected, whether there are any discrepancies or excessive repetition. This is a ‘reality check’ before sending a set of documents.

The structure of the letter of recommendation should be as follows:

Context

In what capacity and for how long has the recommender known the candidate?

Candidate's achievements

An overall assessment of the candidate's abilities that have played an important role in the learning process, assignments, projects, research or job responsibilities.

Characteristics of the candidate’s activities and achievements during the mentioned period of study or work (here you can list awards, places of honor, certificates, etc.).

A description of the candidate's strengths, especially in comparison with other students or work colleagues with a similar background.

Personal qualities of the candidate

Assessing the candidate’s motivation and maturity (especially when it comes to entering a master’s or doctoral program).

Characteristics of leadership and communication skills, ability to work in a team or individually.

Conclusion

Finally, the recommender must justify why he believes that the recommended candidate should be accepted into the specified program of study or awarded a grant.

This is followed by a statement that additional information about the candidate can be provided upon request.

At the very end, the surname and initials of the recommender, his position and contacts (email address, phone number) are indicated.

The document must be signed by the recommender. If possible, the recommendation can be printed on the official letterhead of the institution where the recommender works. However, this is not always possible, so you can do without it.

To confirm the personal and business qualities of citizens during subsequent employment, letters of recommendation are issued. However, students of educational institutions may also need to obtain such a document. To characterize citizens during the period of study, a letter of recommendation is issued to the student.

Letters of recommendation are issued by officials under whose subordination citizens worked or studied. Only in this case will the description of personal and business qualities be objective and reliable. For students, such documents are prepared by the heads of the educational process - a dean, a supervisor, or another curator at the training stage.

The name of the institution where the student studied;
Personal data of the student to whom the recommendation is given;
The specialization in which the student’s educational process took place;
Personal and business qualities that the student demonstrated during the period of study;
Achievements of a scientific or social nature;
Recommendation to future employers or teachers.

This document is in the nature of a business letter, so all characteristics and wording must be clear and specific. The listing of the student's achievements must be accompanied by specific evidence and an indication of the activities in which he showed himself.

His positions in the educational institution;
Full decoding of personal data (last name, first name, patronymic);
Contract information.

To a foreign university in English

If the student intends to further study at an educational institution located outside the Russian Federation, he will be required to submit a letter of recommendation in English. Its form and content will not differ from a similar document in Russian, however, presenting the text in a foreign language may present a certain problem.

The standard language of business communication is English, so letters of recommendation should be drafted taking this fact into account;
The document can be immediately prepared in English if the domestic educational institution has qualified translators;
The document can be drawn up in Russian, and the translation will be certified and legalized by a notary.

Note! If a document is translated into Russian, both versions of letters of recommendation must have identical content. During notarized legalization and translation, this correspondence will be established by the notary.

Additional information that a letter of recommendation to a foreign university may contain includes: an indication of the level of theoretical and practical knowledge of one or more foreign languages.

To the master's program

Another possible direction where a letter of recommendation can be submitted is a master's degree program, which guarantees the student the opportunity to continue the educational process. Since completing a master's program is not a mandatory requirement for higher education, a letter of recommendation may influence the results of the competition for admission.

A student can choose a master’s degree program from a university other than the university where he studied for his undergraduate degree, so the content of the letter should describe in detail his attitude to the educational process, as well as information that allows him to give preference to this particular student.

If you are enrolled in a master's program at the same educational institution, letters of recommendation are usually issued by your immediate supervisors or curators of studies. Only these persons have the opportunity to assess the student’s personal attitude towards studies and recommend him for further study.