Format of Recommendation Letter

Name of the person Name of the Institution, Address Tel: 91-22- (O) (O-Office) Fax: 91-22- (O) Tel: 91-22- (H) (H-Home) REF NO. SSP-RECO- Date: To Whomsoever Concerned Content----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sign off Name of the referee Designation of the person Name of the institution

Letter of Recommendation
An application speaks to the admission committee on your behalf. While your grades/scores are supposed to represent your intellectual capabilities and your SOP allows you the opportunity of presenting your point of view, recommendations by those who know you give the university an independent assessment of your skills and qualities. We strongly recommend that students should not write their own recommendation letters. In case your recommender is not comfortable drafting the reccos, you can give him your resume and points you would want him to include. Get a rough draft made from him, it can be polished later. Every school requires a set of 2-3 reco letters. Normally the schools have a reco format (grading sheet) in their application form, which needs standardised information like rank in class, analytical skills, attendance etc. One can additionally attach a letter (covering other aspects) to the grading sheet. Choosing the right people:

You need to make sure that the people who give you the recommendations have known you for a sufficiently long time and on a professional basis. Fresh graduates would need recommendation letters from the faculty at undergraduate and/or graduate level. The faculty would be in a position to evaluate the student if they have taught them at least two courses. It would be helpful if the courses were relevant to the study program applied to. At work the reporting head interacts with us on a day-to-day basis and hence would be the best person to comment on our performance. Personal Contacts are not considered valid.

Credentials of the referee:

A recommendation from a professor would sound far more impressive than one from a lecturer. The remarks of your reporting head who plays an important role in the company and is an experienced person are more valued. However a recommendation from the CEO of the company who knows you personally but has not interacted regularly at work would not add any value. An alumni from the school one is applying to can give you an additional recommendation commenting on your suitability for the study program.

Relationship you share with the person: Make sure that the person shares a positive relationship with you to ensure you get a good recommendation and within your time frame. Start approaching the people a month ahead of time to run through 2-3 drafts before finalising on it. Prepare an initial draft and check with them if they are comfortable mentioning the same.
Writing Tips:

Following points should be kept in mind while drafting a Letter of Recommendation: 1. The letters should ideally be taken on the college/institution/organization letterhead. If not a letter head then the name, contact details and designation of the person should be clearly mentioned. Refer to the sample format. 2. Have focus on fewer qualities in each reco so that it stays in the mind of the reader at the end of it. Divide the points between the three letters. 3. Do not include too many adjectives or superlative degree remarks in the recommendation. The statements should sound positive but not flattery. 4. Avoid redundancy in the style of writing. For example starting every sentence with She has been very active in class, She has above average analytical skills etc. The letter should have a flow and not seem like a list of statements about you.

5. Get a third person opinion about the draft before finalising it. There are cases when statements that might sound positive to us might be interpreted in a different manner by others. 6. Avoid structural mistakes and use simple language. Do not manipulate facts. For example: If your professor puts you in the top 5% in every category that he's been asked to rank you, and your transcripts show that you averaged in the bottom 25% of your class, it's bound to raise some eyebrows. 7. The letter should be crisp and to the point. Avoid repetitive stuff and irrelevant details. Personal Qualities that can be mentioned in the LOR: You dont have to include all points mentioned below, choose the relevant ones.

Academic Performance

Attendance and class participation Analytical skills and problem solving ability Communication skills Teamwork Ability Leadership Qualities and Decision Making Organized and particular about deadlines Crisis Management and working under pressure Achievements like being a class topper, winning the best project prize etc, playing a strategic role in a company project Interpersonal skills, relationship with peers. Suitability of the applicant to the study program

Sample Recommendation 1
It gives me great pleasure to introduce MR.XXX whom I know for the past few years as student at XXX cllg. During this period, I was his teacher for Radar Engineering. In this long association I had ample opportunity to assess his professional and personal abilities and I must say Mr. XXXhas shown excellent interest in all his scholastic pursuits. He is a person with very good grasping and analyzing capabilities. He designed the hardware circuit for his final year project named MICRO CONTROLLER BASED REMOTE SWITCHING USING A TELEPHONE LINE. Other than his academics he is also one of the best student in the extra-curricular

activities. He is successful in implementing mini-projects during his second year. He also represented the college in various inter college competitions. He has very good Oratorical powers and is excellent manager, which was instrumental in his arranging many social parties like the Fresher Day in the second year and the Farewell Party in the final year. As a student he was dedicated to his assignments given to him and finished them on time. Perseverance, sincerity and thirst for knowledge have always been the hallmark of his personality. He has also taken seminars in his college days. Proficiency in English through knowledge of the subject coupled with the style of his teaching in a clear and lucid manner made his seminars very interesting and informative. Mr. XXX, is a reliable and disciplined person. Further he has the capacity of adapting himself to the new and challenging environment. With these strengths and his cooperative nature, I firmly believe you would make him a successful candidate for pursuing higher studies in your University. With full confidence in his abilities, I strongly recommend XXX for his studies in your esteemed University, preferably with a suitable financial aid.

Sample Recommendation 2
Mr. xxxx under my tutelage for the past three years being a Professor, I have taught him Electromechanics - II, Electromechanics - III, Power Electronics, and also supervised his laboratory work in Power Electronics Lab during his study. He is diligent & adept at various fields. He maintains amicable relations, which allows him to lead a team in an efficient way. He has very effective communication skills. I identify him as an astute person with self-confidence. He is very effective having dedication and commitment towards the work. He has enormous analization & creative skills. I rank him among top 5% in the class strength of 60 students. Because of all the above points in him, I strongly recommend him for higher studies at your esteemed university. I even recommend his name for every possible financial assistance from your University, which I believe he deserves.

Sample Recommendation 3

I take immense pleasure in recommending Mr. xxxx to your esteemed university. He has been my student for the last 4 years. I have taught him Electromagnetic Fields, Electrical Measurements, Electrical Power - II and guided him in Electromechanics - II Lab & Electrical Measurements Lab. During this time I had the ample opportunity to know him thoroughly. He is a good student, very hardworking, at the same time very innovative. His zeal for learning new things is commendable. His excellent analytical abilities and grasping power will prove to be an asset for him in his higher studies. He is very determined and principled. He can shoulder any responsibilities and fulfill any task assigned to him. He has excellent communication skills and good command over all his core subjects and I rank him among the top 5% of the students of his class with a strength of 67. Apart from this, he is a very social person maintaining good relations with all his fellow students and the staff members. I strongly recommend him to the graduate program at your esteemed university with the adequate financial assistance that he rightly deserves.

Sample Recommendation 4
I have known the applicant Mr. xxxx intimately for the past three years. During this period I have taught him "Switching and Logic Circuits", "Microprocessors and Interfacing" and supervised his work in the "Electronic Circuits Lab". This has given me ample scope to assess him both academically and personally. xxxx comes across as a determined and sincere student with exceptional intellectual abilities. He was the topper in the course on "Switching and Logic Circuits". He has a thorough knowledge of Electronics fundamentals and can relate this knowledge well to practical problems encountered in the laboratory. xxxx can express himself effectively both in spoken and written English. His paper presentations on "Active Networks-A new paradigm for the Networking world" and "Image sharpening and Contrast Enhancement Techniques" in the student paper contests of the local IEEE chapter evince the same. All the above qualities coupled with his pleasing demeanor, adaptability and initiative have convinced me to rank him among the top 2% of the students I have taught for the past five years. Considering his keen interest in pursuing higher studies and his scholastic promise for research oriented study, I strongly recommend for admission into your graduate program with full financial assistance.

Sample Recommendation 5

It gratifies me to give this letter of recommendation to Mr. xxxx who is keen to pursue his higher studies at your University. I know him as a student of Printing Technology for the past five years. I have taught him Engineering Mathematics covering topics on Higher Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Laplace Transforms, Matrices, Fourier Series and there related applications which are required for his field of study in graduate program. Mr. xxxx has commendable problem solving skills coupled with a very good analytical and computational abilities that have been demonstrated by his consistent excellence in the courses taken by him. I place him in the top 1% of his graduating class. I am sure that given an opportunity he will prove to be an asset to your institution. Considering his academic excellence, flair for research and effective communication skills, I strongly recommend Mr. xxxx for admission to your University with full financial assistance. I wish him all the success in his future endeavors.

Sample Recommendation 6
I feel proud to introduce Mr.xxxx to your esteemed university .I have been his course instructor for Pulse and Digital Circuits ,Electronic Devices and Circuits, Electromagnetic Waves and transmission lines and Antenna and Wave Propagation. During this period, his intellectual potential and diligence were well evident by the fact that he obtained very good marks in the subjects, which I have taught him. His remarkable grasp of the fundamentals and his ability to analyze and solve problems are praiseworthy. His academic credentials have been consistently good and I rate him in the top 1% of the students of his batch. Mr.xxxx keeps himself abreast with the latest technological developments and has a flair for research. These qualities coupled with his creativity and imagination make him an excellent candidate for research assistantship. He is also endowed with a friendly disposition and excellent communication skills. I am certain that with his motivation and dedication Mr.xxxx will turn into an outstanding graduate student. Hence I strongly recommend him for M.S and Ph.D at your institution with full financial aid.

Sample Recommendation 7
It gives me immense pleasure for writing this letter of recommendation to Mr. xxxx who was my student in five courses taken by him. I have taught him the subjects Engineering Drawing, Machine drawing, Theory of machines and Design of Machine Members I & II. I found him having a sound knowledge of fundamentals and enthusiasm for acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of subject. I rate him as a topper of his graduating class. Mr.xxxx has commendable problem solving skills coupled with a very good analytical

ability, accompanied with the aptitude, merit and tenacity essential for a student. His innovative perspective of viewing practical problems based on the fundamental knowledge he acquired all through his course are displayed in his practical courses & other Co-curricular activities, like representing our college in various forums and technical contests. His contacts with various professional bodies and his practical training program in N.S.T.C., NS has given him the required exposure to the latest trends and developments in the Mechanical Industry. Mr. Xxxx is effective in his communication skills. His mode of solving Mechanical Engineering problems with various computer application tools is worth appreciating. I feel that his diligence and pragmatic analysis represent his competency towards research . Hence I strongly recommend him to be considered as the potential candidate for admission into your esteemed University will full financial aid.

Sample Recommendation 8
I understand Mr. xxxx has cited my name with his application for Graduate study at your university. I am pleased to make the following observations about him. I have taught him the courses Electro Magnetic Fields, Operating System & Unix, Micro Processor & its Applications and Computer Methods in Power Systems during this four years study. Since the very beginning he has shown a very good interest in learning the subject. He has excellent practical skills. He participated actively in the class and gave seminar lectures on various topics. His oratory skills are excellent. I have found Mr.xxxx to be attentive and industrious. He showed a great deal of interest in widening the horizon of his knowledge by close interaction with the faculty and active involvement and participation in various extra curricular and departmental activities. I rank him among top 2% in his class of 60 students, considering his quest for knowledge, research attitude and intellectual capabilities. I strongly recommend him for admission to your graduate school with adequate financial assistance. I am of the view that Mr.xxxx will be worthy student at your graduate school. I wish him all the best of luck and bright and prosperous career ahead.

Sample Recommendation 9
It gives me immense pleasure to give this letter of recommendation to Mr. xxxx who is keen to further his educational goals in your esteemed university. I have known the applicant for the last three years and I have taught him the courses on Control Systems, Network Theory during his study. Mr.xxxx is a sincere and hardworking student showing keen interest in his subjects. His thorough understanding of the fundamentals and his

ability to analyze a problem and work meticulously towards its solution are praise worthy. With his excellent communication skills and amiable nature he maintains a good rapport with the faculty members and his peers. He is equipped with the right level of self-confidence and maturity. He is a highly motivated student, keen on his career advancement. With these credentials in his favor I rate Mr. xxxx among the top 2% of my 60 students in the class. I strongly recommend him for admission into your university for his MS with suitable financial assistance.

Sample Recommendation 10
I take great pleasure in recommending Mr. xxxx's name for admission into your esteemed institution. He has been my student for the past two and half years. I have offered him courses in Programming through 'C' & Lab, Data Structures theory & Lab, Operating Systems theory & Lab, Systems Programming theory & Lab. Hence, I pen my observations about him. Mr. xxxx has excellent intellectual and experimental abilities from the beginning. He has a good command over the fundamentals of his subject. His intellectual potential and sheer hard work are worthy of mention. He also has a good academic record and I rank him among the top 6% in his branch of 40 students. Mr. xxxx, with his dedication and motivation will certainly prove to be worthy of your esteemed institution. Keeping in mind his excellent communication skills, friendly personality, creativity and imagination I strongly recommend him for Masters Program at your institution with possible financial aid.