Letter of Recommendation (LOR) format, samples & tips to write

 There are so many documents that are needed when you’re planning to study abroad. These need to be well curated for increasing your chances for approvals from visa authorities as well as universities. Read our article to get to know all of the details about what an LOR is and some quick tips on how to write it.

What is LOR?

As we mentioned above, there are ample amounts of documents you need to submit when you’re applying for universities abroad. One of them is an LOR. Let’s get to know more about it in detail.

LOR Full Form

LOR refers to a Letter of Recommendation. 

What is LOR? - Letter of Recommendation

Like a Statement of Purpose is a formal document written by you addressing the university or visa authorities, a Letter of Recommendation is written by someone who knows you well in academic or professional contexts. It is used to showcase your skills, abilities and character traits from the perspective of a third person. It offers additional insights into your qualifications and suitability to the selection authorities for the program you’re applying to.

Letter of Recommendation: Types

There are two types of LOR:

• Academic LORs

• Professional LORs

Let’s explore both of these in detail, separately.

Academic Letter of Recommendation

• Written by teachers/professors who’ve previously taught you in academic courses.

• Details such as your academic performance, participation in discussions in the classroom, intellectual curiosity, researching abilities, and potential for success in a university setting is mentioned.

Professional Letter of Recommendation

• Written by an employer or supervisor. When you have work experience relating to your relevant field of study, this can be a beneficial document to submit to let the authorities know that you have prior work experience and knowledge in your field of study. 

• The person may highlight your work ethic, leadership skills, teamwork abilities, and contributions to the organization.

Why do you need a Letter of Recommendation?

There are several reasons for this. Let’s look at why you need a Letter of Recommendation.

Validation of Skills and Abilities

LOR will provide an independent assessment of your skills, abilities, and character. Someone who knows you well academically or professionally is naturally competent to provide these details about you. This validation helps in strengthening your application and highlights your strengths and potential contributions if the university chooses you to be on their program.

Holistic View

Supposing your application is weak in some areas, let’s say in a certain semester your grades weren’t so good. This is when a Letter of Recommendation can come to the rescue. While your grades and resumes convey your strengths, your weak points can be creatively masked using an LOR. Your abilities beyond what grades and resumes convey can be portrayed such as work ethic, leadership skills, qualities, teamwork skills, etc. that make you a strong candidate.

Credibility

LORs add credibility to your application. Someone expert in your field recommending you for the role you’ve selected endorsing your capabilities and potential is a plus point in getting an approval.

Different Perspectives

When you’re applying to programs that demand a diverse set of skills, different recommenders can be asked to provide varied insights into your work and education (e.g. academic and professional LOR).

Comparative Advantage

When there are a lot of applications that meet the eligibility requirements, standing out from the competition is only possible through unique and personalized documents like LORs.

 Evidence of Relationships

LOR also subtly showcases your ability to form meaningful relationships with professors and mentors, and this is a trait that is valued in higher education, especially top universities.

Overall, LORs provide insights into your potential after being accepted in the program.

LOR: How to write one?

Here are some quick tips on how to write a Letter of Recommendation. These are for someone who will write an LOR for you, share with them to help them get insights on how to write an LOR. You can use these yourself as an employer/professor if you’re to write an LOR for your employee/student.

• Understand the Purpose: Before you start writing, understand what the candidate’s goals, program they’re applying to, qualities and experiences are relevant to the position.

• Gather Information: Collect details about the candidate’s academic or professional achievements, skills, work ethic, leadership abilities, and relevant experiences or projects they were involved in. Reviewing their resume, transcript or work portfolio can be useful.

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