Are you a student trying to get a recommendation letter?
Before you do that, it is important to know what is a recommendation letter, its elements and what it looks like.
In this extensive guide, we deep dive into recommendation letters for students and everything crucial surrounding it.
What is a recommendation letter?
A recommendation letter, also known as a reference letter or letter of recommendation, is a formal document written by someone who can attest to an individual's skills, qualifications, character, or achievements.
The purpose of a recommendation letter is to provide insight and endorsement for the individual's abilities and suitability for a specific opportunity, such as employment, admission to an educational program, scholarship, internship, or other professional opportunities.
Recommendation letters are often required as part of job applications, college or graduate school admissions, scholarship applications, and other formal processes.
They carry significant weight in evaluating candidates and can play a crucial role in influencing decisions. Therefore, it's important for writers to be honest, sincere, and detailed in their assessments while highlighting the individual's strengths and qualifications.
Elements of a recommendation letter
Key components of a recommendation letter typically include:
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Introduction: The letter should begin with an introduction stating the writer's relationship to the individual being recommended and the context in which they know them.
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Qualifications and Skills: The body of the letter elaborates on the individual's qualifications, skills, accomplishments, and relevant experiences. The writer should provide specific examples and anecdotes that highlight the individual's strengths and capabilities.
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Personal Attributes: The letter may also discuss the individual's personal attributes, such as their work ethic, integrity, communication skills, teamwork abilities, and leadership qualities.
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Comparison and Context: Depending on the purpose of the letter, the writer may compare the individual to others in similar positions or provide context for their achievements and contributions.
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Closing Statement: The letter typically concludes with a strong endorsement or recommendation for the individual, expressing confidence in their abilities and potential success in the opportunity for which they are being considered.
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Contact Information: The writer usually includes their contact information (email, phone number, and professional title) in case the recipient has further questions or requires additional information.
Recommendation letter sample
Here are a few recommendation letter samples
Letter of recommendation
Sub: Recommendation letter for {student’s name} for {course}
Dear Mr/Ms {Recipient’s Name},
I am {Your name}, the {Title} of {College’s/School’s name} and the reason behind writing this letter is to recommend my student {student’s name} for the {course/programme name} of {New university’s/Job Institution’s name}, {city}. I have been acting as his/her professor/teacher and career advisor since three months now and hi/her interest in your university’s program makes me elated because that is a progressive step in his/her life.
As a dedicated and smart student that s/he is, the work s/he has done in these months of college/school speaks for itself.
S/he excels in { the subject of candidate’s interest} and has made us in {competition/program the candidate has participated in}. He/ She is also the head of debating society and has set an exemplary standard for the juniors.
The friendly nature, communicative personality and confident aura around him/her speak for itself and it is not surprising that s/he is every faculty member’s first choice in all aspects.
I thoroughly believe {candidate’s name} is an ideal candidate for this vacancy/fellowship/seat and all of us at {your institution’s name} is proud to send one of our best students for it. In the case of any queries, you can drop me a mail at {your email ID}.
Sincerely,
{Your Name}
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Letter of recommendation for a student scholarship
Sub: Recommendation letter for {student’s name} for {scholarship name}
Dear Mr/Ms {Recipient’s Name},
I, as a/the {title} of {your institution’s name}, am writing this letter to recommend my student Mr/Ms {candidate’s name} for a scholarship programme, {name of the programme/course}, in your institution/university.
S/he has been a student of {your institution’s name} for {duration of studying} months and I have been his/her {the subject/course you have taught} professor/teacher/principal and mentor during his/her college/school life.
I have known {candidate’s name} for {number of months} months now and I feel proud to tell you that s/he has been one of our best students till date.
As Mr/Ms {Candidate’s name}’s mentor, I can assure you of his/her excellence in the field of {name of the field that the candidate excels in and is applying for}. During his/her time here, the teacher’s panel always knew that this student was meant for greatness.
An unending desire to learn, communicative personality, and a polite demeanour are some of the things which can touch upon the positive traits of {Candidate’s first name}. His/Her project/presentation/paper on {name of the topic} was so amazing that we still use it as an example for our current batches.
As you can make out, {Candidate’s name} has been one of the most intelligent students of this institution along with being an ideal example for the generations to come.
S/he had a keen interest in improving his/her skills to the level of perfection and had a firm belief in lending a helping hand to the fellow students. The fact that s/he has topped every batch during his/her journey in this institution is not surprising at all.
Our institution is proud of Mr/Ms {Candidate’s name} and we are well aware of his/her educational goals in life. Your institution can add another glorious feather to his/her cap and this scholarship can help him/her immensely in realizing his/her ambitions.
I am sure of {Candidate’s first name} caliber and intelligence, and I am positive about him/her being an ideal choice for this scholarship.
If you have any doubts or queries regarding Mr/Ms {Candidate’s last name}, feel free to connect with me at {Your email iD}. You can also call me at {Your phone number} in the case of any questions.
Regards,
{Your signature}
Click here to download this recommendation letter sample
Letter of recommendation for a scholarship written for a personal contact
Sub: Recommendation letter for {student’s name} for {course name}
Dear Mr/Ms {Recipient’s Name},
I, {Your name}, am writing this letter in support of Mr/Ms {Candidate’s name} and his/her application to your school’s/college’s/institution’s Scholarship program. I, as {Candidate’s name}’s {Your relationship to the candidate}, would like to request you to accept this letter as a formal letter of recommendation.
I have known {Candidate’s name} since {number of months} months now and according to my observation, s/he is the most deserving candidate for a full/fifty percent scholarship to {name of the scholarship program/course/name of university/name of the institution}.
I have always looked up to {Candidate’s first name} as a person of principles, intellect, and patience. During our time together in {the university/college, coaching etc}, s/he always helped me with my academics, like a professor would.
You would be surprised to know that our batch depended a lot on {Candidate’s name}’s notes and looked forward to his/her helping hand in {name of the subject the candidate excelled in, preferably the subject/course related to the motive of the scholarship program}.
Not only his/her batchmates but the teachers/professors believed in {candidate’s name}’s abilities and expected him/her to reach greatness in every aspect. I have never seen a more dedicated and hardworking person than {candidate’s name} and I see him/her as a pioneer in his/her field of interest in the coming months.
Keeping in mind all his/her merits, I am sure that Mr/Ms {Candidate’s surname} would be the ideal person for this scholarship program and your institution would be as proud of his/her work as we are. I strongly recommend Mr/Ms {Candidate’s full name} for this program in {University’s name/institution’s name}. In the case of any doubts or queries, you can connect with me on {Your phone number} or email me at {Your email ID}.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your signature}
Click here to download this recommendation letter sample
Letter of recommendation for student
Sub: Recommendation letter for {candidate’s name} for the position of {vacancy/position/role}
Dear Mr/Ms {Recipient’s Name},
As the {Title} of {School’s name}, I am writing this letter to support my student, {Candidate’s name}’s desire to join {College name}. {Candidate’s first name} has been our student throughout his/her school life and you’d be glad to know that s/he has represented our school in the International Science Fair at Amsterdam too.
You can very well imagine {Candidate’s first name}’s calibre and academic intelligence, and let me assure you that there’s a lot more to him/her along with this achievement.
{Candidate’s first name} was an extraordinary child since the beginning. S/he was calculative, disciplined and polite at the time when his/her peers were completely opposite to him/her. S/he has been a class and later, batch topper since the third standard and I feel proud to say that s/he is one of the top twenty-five twelfth board exam toppers in the city.
Apart from his/her academic interests, s/he has been quite active in extracurricular activities. S/he is an avid reader, actor, and an excellent basketball player. There have been incidents where s/he single-handedly led the team towards victory.
S/he is quite a leader and has been elected in various positions like Head boy/Head girl, sports captain, school prefect etc and I believe in his/her ability to lead this world in a better direction some day.
S/he is very interested in pursuing astronomy and there is quite a chance of him/her being one for our country due to his/her physical agility, calculative personality and analytical thinking.
I would take the liberty to say that {Candidate’s first name} is one of our best students and we’re proud of him/her in every way possible.
I’d like to recommend him/her strongly since I believe that your institution can give him/her the right path and deserved exposure. In the case of any doubts, feel free to drop me an email or call my number mentioned above.
Regards,
{Your signature}
Click here to download this recommendation letter sample
Sample recommendation letter for student
Sub: Recommendation letter for {student’s name} for {course name}
To whom it may concern/ {Name of the addressee with salutation}
As the {Your title} of {Your institution’s name], I am writing to you in support of my student Mr/Ms. {Candidate’s name} and his/her noble desire to join {Graduate School’s name} for {Name of the course the candidate is seeking admission in}.
Mr/Ms. {Candidate’s surname} has been my student for {number of months} and I have always seen her as a bright and intelligent one. He/She has been the topper of his/her batch since the very first semester and his/her skills in {any one extracurricular activity like sports, debates, dance etc} are a proof that an ideal student can pursue and excel at his/her other interests as well. He/She is determined, sharp and analytical to the level where he/she can even point out the disparities in a teacher’s presentation. He/She is even taking an extra elective course in {name of the program} to satiate his/her hunger for knowledge. Mr/Ms. {Candidate’s surname} is known to be the life of his/her batch and is undoubtedly one of the best students {Your institution’s name} has ever produced.
I feel elated to recommend Mr/Ms. {Candidate’s surname} for your graduate school as I am positive about his/her hard work and intelligence. I am sure that he/she will be a proud addition to your school and continue to be the bright star that he/she is. In the case of any query or doubt, you can connect with me at {Your email ID} and I’ll be happy to solve them.
Best regards,
{Your signature}
Click here to download this recommendation letter sample


FAQs
How to write a good letter of recommendation for a student?
Begin by introducing yourself and your relationship to the student. Highlight the student's strengths, skills, and achievements relevant to the purpose of the recommendation. Provide specific examples and anecdotes to support your claims. Conclude with a strong endorsement and your contact information for further inquiries.
What is a good example of a letter of recommendation?
A good example of a letter of recommendation is one that is personalized, detailed, and provides concrete examples of the student's abilities, character, and accomplishments. It should be well-written, positive, and tailored to the specific context or purpose of the recommendation.
What is the format of a letter of recommendation?
The format of a letter of recommendation usually includes your contact information (name, title, address, email, phone number), followed by the date. Then, you provide the recipient's contact information (name, title, organization) and a salutation (e.g., "Dear [Recipient's Name]"). In the introduction, you establish your relationship to the student. The body of the letter contains specific examples of the student's qualities, achievements, and potential. The conclusion consists of your recommendation and willingness to offer further information. Finally, you sign the letter and print your name.
What is a letter of reference for a student?
A letter of reference for a student is a document written by someone who can attest to the student's character, abilities, and accomplishments. It serves as a testimonial to support the student's application for a scholarship, college admission, internship, job, or other opportunities. The letter typically highlights the student's strengths, achievements, and potential for success.