The importance of LOR

A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) is a vital part of the application process, which can make or break a student’s chances of getting into an institute or securing a scholarship. Shriram Krishnamurthi a Professor at the Computer Science Department in Brown University has written about a student who got into an admirable graduate program in spite of having a score of 2.67 GPA. This remarkable student had written about the reasons that made his score special – he aced in classes that were hard and got bored in classes that weren’t. He explained this with several anecdotes and ensured that his letter stood out.

The LOR can play a critical role in helping to differentiate you among more than a lakh of applicants and have a favorable impact on your chances of getting admitted. The admission team of any institute looks for prospective students who have accomplished academic qualifications, impressive social skills, sound character, and have the promise to succeed. It helps the admission team to have a holistic idea about your personal and professional journeys.

Challenges faced in creating an LOR

Prospective students from India who are planning to pursue a Master’s Degree from the US often struggle with getting the right flavors in their letter of recommendation. This is because their professors or employers may either be used to creating a particular LOR format or may have no idea at all.

Here are some dos and don’ts for an effective LOR.

DOs of LOR

1) Credibility matters

Heard about Blake Gottesman? Without a college degree he managed to get into Harvard Business School largely thanks to a stellar letter of recommendation written by the 43rd President of USA – George W. Bush, whom he served as a full-time personal aide. After graduating from Harvard in 2008, he joined Berkshire Partners, a Private Equity firm based out of Boston, as a senior associate.

Of course, not every applicant may have worked with or been taught by a genial ex-President or Prime Minister willing to write an LOR. But if you have work experience and have interacted with one of the heads of a department – for instance a CTO who is known across the industry, it would be great to secure a letter of recommendation from him.

As a student, if you are able to get the head of department or the Dean of your institute to sign your LOR, it would matter much more than getting your immediate friendly boss or your jovial 11th standard science teacher to do it.

2) LOR shouldn’t conflict with the rest of your application

Jhanvi Khanna is applying for a MS program after working for 45 months in a high growth startup. She has claimed so in her application forms and has been savvy enough to get a glowing LOR from the founder of the company – a charismatic gentleman whose success stories have been splashed in newspapers across the globe.

Recommendation Letter Sample:

Recommendation Letter Sample

Can you spot what went wrong?

Jhanvi has claimed that her work experience has been for 45 months. But her CEO has written that she worked for 4 years. One may perceive this as being superfluous, but it is absolutely critical that the information given in your transcripts match accurately with what is written in the LOR.

For sample LORs, check out our eBOOK on “Sample LOR for Top Admits Here”

3) Use impactful language

Visualize that you are going for an interview for a dream job. Are you likely to dress in a jaded pair of clothes along with a pair of old loafers or would you want to adorn yourself with a crisp white shirt and a classical suit with smart, polished shoes?

Rather than using insipid words or clichés, using descriptive vocabulary and engaging phrases in your LOR would ensure that it stands out.

Here are some LOR format samples

For instance rather than writing:

LOR sample writing

One can write:

Improved LOR sample writing

Yet, one must be careful about a few aspects. One shouldn’t be using phrases that could be misinterpreted. For instance, “He is a perfectionist.” Certain admission officers may interpret this as a sign of narcissism or even having negative social traits.

4) Your letter should be peppered with meaningful anecdotes

Structured LOR letter

Isn’t this a fascinating story? This anecdote  not only brings to light Rajiv’s caliber as a fantastic batsman, but also establishes that he is a young man with robust morality. Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, a story like this illustrates the characteristics of the applicant like nothing else can.

Don’ts of LOR

1) Don’t repeat your resume

Writing a LOR that only repeats what is given in your Resume would certainly inhibit your chances of getting admitted in  MS program. The purpose of the LOR is to sketch your complete personality in the mind of the admission officer without you having to speak a word.

Repeating facts and figures given in your resume would make the admission officer feel that the official who has written the LOR is distant and does not share a healthy relationship with the applicant.

Recommendation letter example:

Example of Recommendation letter

2) Spelling mistakes

Spelling mistakes are a big no-no. It may raise doubts about the credibility of the individual who is recommending you.  

3) Politically incorrect language

Today, one has to be extremely mindful about hurting sensibilities. One may inadvertently end up hurting others by using certain phrases or words.

Example:

Example LOR

Imagine that the Admission Officer reading this is suffering from Asperger Syndrome. The applicant might have his sympathies but this letter could displace the admission officer’s temperament for a while and impact Aslam’s chances of getting admitted.

The individual writing a recommendation may not be well-versed with the nuances of English Language. But the applicant will have to take special care in ensuring that such sentences are not a part of the LOR, especially if the person offering the LOR is known to have limited command over the English language.

4) The letter is too short

An appropriate letter of recommendation should be around a page long – which means around 500 to 600 words when written on an A4 page. Sometimes, universities may specify the number of words, which makes it easier. A study that assessed several letters of recommendations indicated that the more details there are in the letter, the better is it for the applicant – which meant that as long as the details in the letter are relevant, a longer letter could turn out favorable for the prospective student.

However, a recommendation that is hardly half a page would seem as if it has been forcibly written. A golden rule to keep in mind is that a letter of recommendation should be crisp enough to be captivating for the reader, yet long enough to cover the important parts.

Let us consider another example:

Ideal LOR sample

Undoubtedly the candidate – Rajiv Joshi has immense potential. Unfortunately, the letter written by his professor seems like a buffet which only served lip smacking soup and delectable starters, but kept the patrons hungry for more.

Check out our YouTube video on Letter of Recommendation for more information.

Conclusion – Preparation, Visualization, and Revision are important

It is important to prepare at least a couple of years prior to creating an effective LOR format. This is because one may still be falling behind on certain parameters, such as academics, professional achievements, personal growth or extracurricular activities. One could start visualizing how one’s LOR format should look like after a couple of years and work on achieving the same. So if your grades are not up to the mark, you could not only work harder to improve your average, but also follow your passion of building robots which you had been procrastinating for long. It is imperative that one doesn’t pursue activities just for the heck of including them in the LOR, as these pursuits wouldn’t last long. One should also recognize the prospective writer of one’s LOR and invest in building a healthy relationship with that person.  Finally, it is important to revise and proof read the LOR multiple times before submission.

The post How an LOR for Master’s looks like appeared first on 91Čȱ¬ Blog.

The importance of LOR

A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) is a vital part of the application process which can make or break a student’s chances of getting into an institute or securing a scholarship. Shriram Krishnamurthi, a Professor at the Computer Science Department at Brown University has written:

LOR Samples – 1

                                                         

The LOR  plays a crucial role in differentiating your profile from lakhs of other applications and also has a favourable impact on your chances of securing an admit. The admission team of top institutions look for promising students who possess good academic qualifications, impressive social skills, authentic character and have the will to succeed. It helps the admission team to have a holistic idea about your personal and professional journeys.

Challenges faced while creating an LOR

Prospective students from India who are planning to pursue a Master’s Degree from the US often struggle with getting the right flavors in their letter of recommendation. This is primarily because their professors or employers may either be used to creating a LOR with a particular template or may have no idea about it at all.

Here are some Dos and Don’ts for an effective LOR 

1) Dos of LOR:

Credibility matters!

Heard about Blake Gottesman? Without a college degree, Blake managed to get into Harvard Business School, all thanks to a stellar letter of recommendation written by the 43rd President of USA – George W Bush, whom he served as a full-time personal aide.  After graduating from Harvard in 2008, he joined Berkshire Partners,  a private equity firm based out of Boston, as a senior associate.

Of course, not every applicant may have worked with or been taught by a genial Ex-President or Prime Minister who is willing to offer a LOR. But if you have work experience and have also interacted with any of the heads of a department – for instance, a CTO who is known across the industry, it would be great to secure a letter of recommendation from him.

As a student, if you are able to get the head of the department or the Dean to provide you with a LOR, it would matter much more than getting your immediate friendly boss or your jovial 11th standard science teacher to do it.

LOR shouldn’t conflict with the rest of your application

Let’s look at this with an example:

Jhanvi Khanna is an MS aspirant who after working for 45 months in a high growth startup has applied for an MS program. She had been savvy enough to get a glowing LOR from the founder of the company – a charismatic gentleman whose success stories have been splashed in newspapers across the globe.

Here is a snippet of the Recommendation Letter:

LOR Samples – 2

                                                       

Can you spot what went wrong?

Jhanvi has claimed her work experience to be 45 months in her application. But her CEO has written that she worked for 4 years. One may perceive this as being bureaucratic but it is absolutely critical that the information given in your transcripts match accurately with what is written in the LOR.

Use Impactful Language

Visualize that you are going for an interview for a dream job. Are you likely to dress in a jaded pair of clothes along with a pair of old loafers or would you want to adorn yourself with a crisp white shirt and a classic suit with polished Oxford shoes?

Rather than using insipid words or clichés, using descriptive vocabulary and engaging phrases throughout your LOR would ensure that it stands out.

Here are some LORĚý˛ő˛ąłľ±č±ô±đ˛ő

For instance rather than writing:

Ramesh is an all-rounder. He understands technology as well as copywriting. At present, he is working as a coder but when our marketing team was facing a challenge in creating a new tagline, Ramesh took it up and resolved it.

One can write:

Ramesh is a versatile professional who doesn’t shy away from taking up challenges. He is an accomplished technology leader with impressive knowledge about the intricacies of writing appealing content as well. Recently when our marketing department hit a roadblock about creating a compelling tagline to replace our existing one, Ramesh immediately decided to volunteer. He was able to marry powerful insights about our product along with his thoughts on what kind of copy would work. This resulted in the conception of a remarkable slogan which has generated tremendous recall value for our brand.

Yet, one must be careful about a few aspects. One shouldn’t be using phrases that could be misinterpreted. For instance – He is a perfectionist. Certain admission officers may interpret this as a sign of narcissism or even having negative social traits.

Your letter should be peppered with meaningful anecdotes

Let me explain this with an example:

LOR Samples – 3

                                                                    

Isn’t this a fascinating story? This anecdote brings not only brings to light Rajiv’s calibre as a fantastic batsman but also establishes that he is a young man with robust morality. Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, a story like this illustrates the characteristics of the applicant like nothing else can.

2) Don’ts of LOR:-

Don’t repeat your resume

Writing a LOR that only repeats what is given in your Resume would certainly inhibit your chances of getting admitted in an MS program. The purpose of a LOR is to sketch your complete personality in the mind of the admission officer without you having to speak a word.

Repeating facts and figures given in your resume would make the admission officer feel that the official who has written the LOR is distant and does not share a healthy relationship with the applicant.

Recommendation letter example:

“To the Admission Office

I am happy to recommend Mr Jai Shah. He has scored an average CGPA of 3.8 out of 4 and is a gold medalist in mathematics…..”

Facts like your CGPA, gold medals, honor would already be present in your CV and reinstating the same may not be the right strategy

Spelling mistakes

Spelling mistakes are a big no-no. It may raise doubts about the credibility of the individual who is recommending you.  

Politically incorrect language

Today, one has to be extremely mindful about hurting sensibilities. One may inadvertently end up hurting others by using certain phrases or words.

Example:

LOR Samples – 4

                                                        

Imagine that the Admission Officer reading this is suffering from Asperger Syndrome. The applicant might have his sympathies but this letter could displace the admission officer’s temperament for a while and impact Aslam’s chances of getting admitted.

The individual writing a recommendation may not be well versed with the nuances of English Language. But the applicant will have to take special care in ensuring that such sentences are not a part of the LOR especially if the person offering a LOR is known to have limited command over the English language.

The letter is too short

An appropriate letter of recommendation should be around a page long – which mean around 500 to 600 words when written on an A4 page. Sometimes, Universities may specify the number of words which makes it easier. A study that assessed several letters of recommendations indicated that the more detail in the letter, the better for the applicant – which meant that as long as the details in the letter are relevant, a longer letter could be favourable for the prospective student.

However, a recommendation that is hardly half a page would seem as if it has been forcibly written. A golden rule to keep in mind is that a letter of recommendation should be crisp enough to be captivating for the reader yet long enough to cover the important parts.

Let us consider an example:

LOR Samples – 5

                                                     

91Čȱ¬ Verdict: Undoubtedly the candidate – Rajiv Bhat has immense potential. Unfortunately, the letter written by his professor seems like a buffet which only served lip smacking soup and delectable starters but kept the patrons hungry for more. 

Let us consider one more example:

LOR Samples – 6

                                                       

91Čȱ¬ Verdict: From this LOR it is evident that the candidate has been a star pupil all throughout and has participated in a plethora of activities & events. This LOR shines light on his achievements, enterprising spirit and will for sure get him into the good books of the Admission Committee

Conclusion – Preparation, Visualisation and Revision are important

It is important to prepare at least a couple of years prior to creating an effective LOR. This is because one may still be falling behind on certain parameters such as academics, professional achievements, personal growth or extra – curricular activities. One could start visualising how one’s LOR should look like after a couple of years and work on achieving the same. So if your grades are not up to the mark, you could not only work harder to improve your average but also follow your passion of building robots which you had been procrastinating for long. It is imperative that one doesn’t pursue activities just for the heck of including them in the LOR as these pursuits wouldn’t last long. One should also recognise the prospective writer of one’s LOR and invest in building a healthy relationship with that person.  Finally, it is important to revise and proof read the LOR multiple times before arranging for sending it across.

The post How to write a Letter of Recommendation (LOR): Samples appeared first on 91Čȱ¬ Blog.

Usually written by a professor or former employer, the LOR is a vital part of your application since it testifies to your character and assures the faculty of the university that you are indeed an asset to the university. It is basically an endorsement of you by one person to another.

Let us now discuss the importance of the LOR and how to get the perfect one.

What is the importance of the LOR?

Let’s put it this way. When you are purchasing a product online, be it a mobile phone, a book, or an article of clothing, you tend to read the reviews of the product before placing an order to ensure that it is of good quality. In the crudest of terms, the LOR is akin to such a review.

The professors of the university read the LOR and are guaranteed of your character, your performance as a student or employee, and generally get a picture of who you are, and how you will contribute to the university. Most universities take a holistic approach to evaluating your application; that is, they try to understand you as a person and not just the sum total of your marks and grades. The LOR thus helps the universities filter the most promising candidates out of a pool of similarly qualified students.

Hence, it is crucial that the LOR not only paints a glowing picture of you but is also written by someone who knows you well.

How should I pick my referee?

As important as an LOR is, it is equally important that your referee is someone you have known and worked or studied with for at least six months.  Generally, the LOR creates a good impact if it is written by a person in a senior position. Depending on whether you are a student or a working professional, there are different approaches you can take to narrow down the ideal referee. After all, you do not want to jeopardize your LOR and your future by picking the wrong referee, do you?

If you are a student:

Your LOR has more worth if it is written by a senior staff member, like the Head of the Department. Try to pick a professor who knows you well and has taught you for a long time. It is better if you have done any projects or research work under their guidance since that adds value to the LOR.

Avoid choosing temporary or ad-hoc professors as referees unless absolutely necessary. There are several reasons for this.

• One, the LOR is generally written on the official letterhead of the college or the university, and this letterhead is only given to permanent members of the staff. Of course, you can submit the letter without the letterhead, but remember that the letterhead imparts a stamp of authority and authenticity to any document.

• Second, there is always a chance that the admissions office could contact your referee to clarify some aspect of the letter. If this happens and your referee is no longer working at your college, it could seriously affect the veracity of your letter.  

• Third, it is highly unlikely that an ad-hoc professor would know you as well as a permanent staff member does. Usually, it is recommended that the letter be written by a highly qualified person. So if your referee of choice happens to hold a Ph.D. or an MPhil, you are in luck!

• Lastly, it is important that your referee is someone you get along very well and have a great rapport with.

If you are a working professional:

We advise you to pick your employer as a referee only if you have graduated from college a long time ago, which would it make it difficult to approach your ex-professors. If you must get the letter from an employer, think about how appropriate their reference could be to your application, since they have no idea about your academic potential and thus will not be able to comment on the same.

Asking for reference letters from a boss or a superior can be stressful, but if done right, it can do wonders for your application. Ideally, the person you are directly reporting to makes for the best referee, since they know you on a personal level.  It is better if the person you are choosing as a referee is someone you have worked with for a long time and with whom you have done important projects or fieldwork with, as that is an evidence of your hard work, perseverance, punctuality, and team spirit.

91Čȱ¬ Admission Tip: Getting an LOR from a senior official/professor who may have studied at a top US university or even worked there for some time can prove to be invaluable to your application. It increases familiarity and establishes credibility in the minds of the admissions officers, thereby putting you in a favorable light.

What should my LOR cover?

• The relationship between the referee and you must be explicitly clear from the very first line.  For example, start with “I am an associate professor in the department of electrical engineering in XYZ College, of which he was a student.”

• Make it a point to highlight your achievements in the relevant subject or field. If you scored a cent percent on a test given by that professor, mention that very clearly. It always pays to be an achiever.

• Who are you as a person? Are you friendly, kind-hearted, passionate, candid, or perhaps extremely hard working? Never forget to mention these in your letter, for your personality traits matter just as much as your academic ones.

• Your extracurricular achievements, including sports, dance, music, and drama. Remember, universities seek well-rounded persons, and your extracurricular activities are essential to that. Similarly, if you have contributed in any capacity to your college or student community (by volunteering, organizing events, participating in clubs and societies etc.), be sure to mention those in your letter too.

• A mention of your career goals, however briefly, should be made. The LOR should be as introspective as it is forward-looking.

• The referee’s contact details, including email address and phone number, must be stated at the very end.

AdmitEDGE Admission Tips:

• If you are uncomfortable about asking them in person, send them an email. This way, it gives them a chance to politely decline, if need be.

• Have a list of minimum three potential referees and ask them all at the same time. That way, if one of them declines, you will have a backup.

• Give them time. Do not rush to get your LOR three days before your admissions deadlines. Remember, a well-written letter takes time and effort. It is handy to make a list of referees before your 91Čȱ¬ or just after. Give them at least a couple of weeks before you get a final draft.

• Be respectful and courteous at all times.

• Supply all the relevant information on a neatly typed word document.

• Offer to write the letter yourself. Teachers and working professionals are busy people, and might not have the time to draft a satisfactory LOR. In that case, ask them if you can write the letter yourself, and get it reviewed and signed from them.

• Let them know that they could be contacted on behalf of the admissions committee. It is always nice to keep them in the loop.

• Once your admission is successful, write them a polite thank you note to acknowledge their help.

If you are daunted by the process of getting the perfect LOR, then don’t worry, because 91Čȱ¬â€™s cutting-edge LOR writing services will come to your aid! Your letter will be written and edited by a panel of experts, whose unmatched experience and finesse will fetch you the LOR of your dreams.

We hope this article sheds some light on the importance of choosing the right referee.

We wish you all the best!

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