Of course you want to help your students get into their preferred colleges and obtain scholarships, but what makes a letter of recommendation—and consequently your student—stand out in the crowd?

Accurate grammar and spelling are a given, but to create a strong persuasive letter, there must be more. You need to write letters of recommendation that will illuminate a student’s personality and accomplishments, and go far beyond a glorified list of stats.

As the letter writer, your objective is to demonstrate the student’s ability to perform successfully in, or be deserving of, the goal they are seeking. Whether that goal is—to gain entrance to a particular college, secure a scholarship or receive an award—your letter will benefit them most when it includes details about what makes that student distinctive and why he or she is a deserving and qualified recipient.

Read on to learn all you need to do to create professional-quality letters that reflect well on you, your students and your school.

Tip #1

No matter what size your school is, it’s tough to know every student well enough to provide pertinent anecdotes and examples. So, it’s crucial to have a complete list of their school and extracurricular activities, as well as their hopes and dreams. Use handy student brag sheets and parent brag sheets to get detailed information directly from students and their parents to aid in the letter-writing process.

Distribute a brag sheet to all students early in the fall, instructing them to fill it out and give it back to you with their request for a letter of recommendation. Make sure they include a stamped envelope that’s already addressed to the recipient. Now you will always have at your fingertips all the information you need to write a personal, compelling letter.

Tip #2

Print your letter on official letterhead and sign it. After sealing the envelope, sign across the seal to ensure confidentiality.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• Ask the student for the completed brag sheet form.
• Confirm the date the letter is due.
• Read the application criteria carefully, and determine the student’s qualities and achievements that fulfill these criteria.
• Think about what makes this student stand out in your mind. Academic achievement is not the only indicator of potential. The character traits and experiences you describe are what rounds out an applicant and gives him or her prominence.

LETTER STRUCTURE

In general, every letter of recommendation contains these three sections:

1. Opening statement
2. Character assessment statements with specific examples
3. Closing statement

Opening Statement

Introduce the candidate and your relationship to him or her in a positive tone. Then write a sentence or two explaining why this candidate is a good fit for the award, scholarship or admission. Be sure to include:

• The full name of the student.
• Who you are in reference to the candidate.
• How long you have known him or her, and how well.

For example:

I first met Sean Jones when he enrolled in my freshman English class three years ago, and I was his basketball coach for two seasons.

Character Assessment Statements

The best letters of recommendation contain specific examples of the student’s talents and abilities, and provide anecdotes that illustrate the student exhibiting these qualities as well as a sense of how well you actually know the applicant. Don’t just use any old superlative; instead, ask yourself when or how this student demonstrated that quality and then write about that. Don’t worry if your prose isn’t perfect; instead, be concerned with conveying emotion through real-life examples. If you don’t know the student well, refer to the brag sheet.

Here are some guidelines:

• Give your general impression of the student.
• Provide an assessment of the performance, characteristics, and attributes of the person being recommended. Use an example or anecdote to back up each claim you make about the student.
• Only say a student is exceptional if you’ve got the evidence, such as a high class rank.

For example:

In this course of 40 lively students, John was memorable for making contributions to the class discussion that were so thoughtful and original they frequently raised the level of discussion for the entire class.

These are tips for students with potential:

• Tell the story behind the transcript. For example, give context to a dip in GPA due to a specific incident or taking on more challenging courses.
• List some points that this person may intend to address to advance his or her academic or athletic career.
• Describe how this person has learned from past mistakes.
• Mention what you believe this person is capable of achieving.

For example:

John made the most of every learning opportunity, meeting with me during office hours on several occasions for tutoring.

Closing Statements

• Clearly but briefly summarize the points raised earlier.
• State why you think the applicant’s plans are a good fit, and how you think the he or she will contribute to the university or group.
• Strongly reaffirm your confidence in the applicant’s abilities.
• Let the reader know how he or she can contact you if more information is needed.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Don’t overdo it. A concise letter will be more effective than a lengthy one as long you have addressed the required criteria.
• Don’t comment on the student’s attendance and preparation for class. It is assumed that good students attend class regularly and complete their homework on time.
• Don’t focus the letter on your own standards or accomplishments. To state “John made an A in my class which is difficult since I’m a hard grader,” doesn’t give the reader any relevance, nor does it explain why the student received the A.
• Don’t be critical unless absolutely necessary, as this alone can knock a candidate out of the running. Discuss your reservations with the student and help him or her find a better candidate to write the letter. If this is not possible, be honest but fair in your assessment, perhaps focusing on the student’s growth potential.