5 Steps to US Study: Letters of Recommendation

Hello readers! In last week’s column we discussed how to write a good personal statement. This week, we will be discussing letters of recommendation (LORs). LORs are important because they show the application committee what a student’s potential is. Letters of recommendation, or “reference letters,” are written by professors or a professional contact (e.g., a […]

Hello readers! In last week’s column we discussed how to write a good personal statement. This week, we will be discussing letters of recommendation (LORs).

LORs are important because they show the application committee what a student’s potential is. Letters of recommendation, or “reference letters,” are written by professors or a professional contact (e.g., a supervisor, client, or project leader), and recommend the student to the university for the program that they wish to pursue.

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When requesting an LOR, it’s important for a student to choose someone who knows them well and can describe their academic characteristics and their aptitude for learning. Choosing contacts with which a student already has a good relationship is also reasonable, but not strictly necessary.

LORs can be general or be tailored to the program for which the student is applying. Keep in mind that if an LOR is general, it can be used in a broader context. However, if it’s tailored to a specific program, it may be stronger, but it’s limited by its precision.

Each institution may have their own requirements for reference letters, but they will generally ask for at least two or three LORs for a master’s application. While recommendations can be from either professional or scholarly sources, some institutions may require at least one or two LORs to be from professors or other academic contacts.

If a student has just graduated, they should have all three LORs from professors (or project advisors) from recent/relevant courses. However, if an applicant is working, they may use one professional LOR alongside the two academic LORs. Keep in mind that these guidelines are not universal, and students should check their application instructions for every relevant college or university carefully before completion and/or submission.

Students will not have any part in the writing process of LORs, as their contents are confidential however it is possible for contacts to consult the student.

Next week, we will discuss the process of requesting and submitting LORs!

– U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad