A recommendation letter is a letter of endorsement that helps the receiver get a job or advance in their career.
A person who is familiar with the recipient and who can attest to their character, abilities, and skills typically writes recommendations. A recommendation letter is often requested after an interview when the employer wants to know if they should hire the person or not.
A person who is familiar with the student well typically writes a letter of recommendation, which is a formal document. It can be a teacher, a mentor, or someone else who has worked closely with the student.
The letter should highlight the qualities and skills that make the student an asset to their potential future employer. It should also be tailored to the specific needs of the company or institution that will be reading it.
A letter of recommendation should not only highlight what makes your student an asset but also what they have learned from you as their teacher and mentor.
3 Essential Tips for Getting the Best Student Recommendation Letters from Colleges
Getting letters of recommendation from colleges can be a difficult process. Sometimes, it can be even impossible. But, with these three tips, you will be able to get the best student recommendation letter from your college.
- Take the time to develop a personal relationship with your recommender
- Ask for as many recommendations as possible
- Make sure that you have a clear and concise letter of intent
What is the Best Way to Make Sure the Letter You Get Is Written to the School’s Expectations & Still Good Enough?
One of the most important steps in preparing your college reference letter is to make sure that you have a clear understanding of the school’s expectations. What should you do if you don’t know what those expectations are?
First, start with a Google search for the school’s name. You can also ask your guidance counselor or someone else who knows about the school. Next, use one of these methods to find out what they want in your reference letter:
1) Ask them directly
2) Check their website or application instructions
3) Talk to an admissions officer at the school
What do I need to consider when writing a recommendation letter?
A recommendation letter is a formal letter of support that is typically written to recommend a person for a job, promotion, or award.
There are many factors that you need to consider when writing a recommendation letter. These include the following:
- Length and structure of the letter
- Who will be reading your letter?
- The type of document that you are recommending
- The type of event being recommended for
- The tone and content of the recommendation
if you’re a student, examples of great letters of recommendation can help you understand how to get strong letters yourself from your teachers. If you’re a teacher, the examples in this guide will inspire you to support your students strongly as they apply to college. Keep reading for four excellent letters from teachers that will get anyone into college, along with expert analysis on why they’re so strong.
1: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. [Last Name],
It’s my absolute pleasure to recommend [Name] for [position] with [Company].
[Name] and I [relationship] at [Company] for [length of time].
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with [Name] and came to know [him/her] as a truly valuable asset to absolutely any team. [He/she] is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. Beyond that, [he/she] is an impressive [soft skill] who is always [result].
His/her knowledge of [specific subject] and expertise in [specific subject] were a huge advantage to our entire office. [He/she] put this skill set to work in order to achieve a specific achievement.
Along with [his/her] undeniable talent, [Name] has always been an absolute joy to work with. [He/she] is a true team player and always manages to foster positive discussions and bring the best out of other employees.
Without a doubt, I confidently recommend [Name] join your team at [Company]. As a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person, I know that [he/she] will be a beneficial addition to your organization.
Please feel free to contact me at [your contact information] should you like to discuss [Name]’s qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
2: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Mrs. Smith,
It’s my absolute pleasure to recommend Joe Adams for the Sales Manager position with The Sales Company.
Joe and I worked together at Generic Sales Company, where I was his manager and direct supervisor from 2022–2022.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Joe and came to know him as a truly valuable asset to any team. He is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. Beyond that, he is an impressive problem solver who is always able to address complex issues with strategy and confidence. Joe is inspired by challenges and never intimidated by them.
His knowledge of sales etiquette and expertise in cold calling were a huge advantage to our entire office. He put this skill set to work in order to increase our total sales by over 18% in just one quarter. I know that Joe was a huge piece of our success.
Along with his undeniable talent, Joe has always been an absolute joy to work with. He is a true team player and always manages to foster positive discussions and bring the best out of other employees.
Without a doubt, I confidently recommend Joe join your team at The Sales Company. As a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person, I know that he will be a beneficial addition to your organization.
Please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567 should you like to discuss Joe’s qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.
Best wishes,
Kat Boogaard
Director of Sales
The Sales Company
Recommendation Letter Sample
3: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Admissions Committee,
I had the pleasure of teaching Sara in her 11th grade honors English class at Mark Twain High School. From the first day of class, Sara impressed me with her ability to be articulate about difficult concepts and texts, her sensitivity to the nuances within literature, and her passion for reading, writing, and creative expression—both in and out of the classroom. Sara is a talented literary critic and poet, and she has my highest recommendation as a student and writer.
Sara is talented at considering the subleties within literature and the purpose behind authors’ works. She produced an extraordinary year-long thesis paper on creative identity development, in which she compared works from three different time periods and synthesized cultural and historical perspectives to inform her analysis. When called upon to give her thesis defense in front of her peers, Sara spoke clearly and eloquently about her conclusions and responded to questions in a thoughtful way. Outside of the classroom, Sara is dedicated to her literary pursuits, especially to poetry. She publishes her poetry in our school’s literary magazine as well as in online magazines. She is an insightful, sensitive, and deeply self-aware individual driven to explore art, writing, and a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Throughout the year, Sara was an active participant in our discussions, and she always supported her peers. Her caring nature and personality allow her to work well with others in a team setting, as she always respects others’ opinions, even when they differ from her own. When we held a class debate about gun laws, Sara opted to speak for the side opposite her own views. She explained her choice as motivated by a desire to put herself in other people’s shoes, view the issues from a new perspective, and gain a clearer sense of the issue from all angles. Throughout the year, Sara demonstrated this openness to and empathy for the opinions, feelings, and perspectives of others, along with shrewd powers of observation—all qualities that make her outstanding as a student of literature and burgeoning writer.
I am certain that Sara is going to continue to do great and creative things in the future. I highly recommend her for admission to your undergraduate program. She is talented, caring, intuitive, dedicated, and focused in her pursuits. Sara consistently seeks out constructive feedback so she can improve her writing skills, which is a rare and impressive quality in a high school student. Sara is truly a stand-out individual who will impress everyone she meets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Ms. Scribe
English Teacher
Mark Twain High School
4: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Admissions Committee,
It is a great pleasure to recommend Stacy for admission to your engineering program. She is one of the most exceptional students I have encountered in my 15 years of teaching. I taught Stacy in my 11th grade honors physics class and advised her in Robotics Club. I am not surprised to find out she is now ranked at the top of an extraordinarily capable class of seniors. She has a keen interest in and talent for physics, math, and scientific inquiry. Her advanced skills and passion for the subject make her an ideal fit for your rigorous engineering program.
Stacy is a perceptive, sharp, and quick individual with a high aptitude for math and science. She is driven to understand how things work, whether they be the old computer hard drives in the school library or the forces that hold our universe together. Her final project in class was especially impressive: an investigation of frequency-dependent sound absorption, an idea that she said was sparked by not wanting to bother her parents with her hours of guitar practice at home. She’s been a strong leader in the Robotics Club, eager to share her knowledge with others and learn new skills. I have the students in the club prepare lessons and take turns leading our after-school meetings. When it was Stacy’s turn, she showed up prepared with a fascinating lecture on lunar astronomy and fun activities that got everyone moving and talking. She was our only student teacher to be met with much-deserved applause at the end of her lesson.
Stacy’s personal strengths are as impressive as her intellectual accomplishments. She’s an active, outgoing presence in class with a great sense of humor. Stacy’s the perfect person to get a group project rolling, but she also knows how to sit back and let others take the lead. Her cheerful nature and openness to feedback mean she’s always learning and growing as a learner, an impressive strength that will continue to serve her well in college and beyond. Stacy is just the kind of driven, engaging, and curious student that helped make our classroom a lively environment and safe place to take intellectual risks.
Stacy has my highest recommendation for admission to your engineering program. She has demonstrated excellence in all that she puts her mind to, whether it’s designing an experiment, collaborating with others, or teaching herself to play classical and electrical guitar. Stacy’s endless curiosity, combined with her willingness to take risks, leads me to believe there will be no limit to her growth and achievements in college and beyond. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ms. Randall
Physics Teacher
Marie Curie High School
5: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Admissions Committee,
It is hard to overstate the meaningful contributions that William has made to our school and surrounding community. As both his 10th and 11th grade History teacher, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing William make profound contributions both in and out of the classroom. His deep sense of social justice, which he conveys through a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of historical trends and events, drives his motivation for school and community service. I can say with confidence that William is one of the most caring and driven students I’ve ever taught in my fifteen years at the school.
As the child of immigrant parents, William is especially drawn to understanding the immigrant experience. He produced an extraordinary semester-long research paper on the treatment of Japanese-Americans in the U.S. during WWII, in which he went beyond all expectations to conduct Skype interviews with relatives of his featured subjects to incorporate into his paper. William has a great capacity to draw connections between past and present and to ground his understanding of current issues in the context of historical events. He never retreats to a simple answer or explanation but is comfortable dealing with ambiguity. William’s fascination with U.S. and World History and skill for deep analysis make him an exemplary scholar as well as a motivated activist driven to promote civil rights and work towards social equity.
In sophomore year, William noticed that the college planning seminars students attended included little information for first-generation or immigrant students. Always thinking about how institutions can better serve people, William spoke with counselors and ESL teachers about his ideas to better support all students. He helped collect resources and design a college planning curriculum for immigrant and undocumented students to enhance their college access. He further helped organize a group that connected ESL students with native English speakers, stating his mission to be helping ELLs improve their English and increasing multicultural awareness and social cohesion at the school as a whole. William identified a need and worked with students and faculty alike to meet it in an extremely effective and beneficial way. Ever the history scholar, he did plenty of research to back up his ideas.
William believes passionately in social progress and working for the common good. His own personal experiences, along with his profound grasp on social history, drive his advocacy work. He is a talented, intelligent student with the charisma, confidence, strong values, and respect for others to make a huge difference in the world around him. I’m looking forward to seeing all the good that William continues to do for his fellow humanity in college and beyond, as well as the excellent work that he will produce at the college level. William has my highest recommendation. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Mr. Jackson
History Teacher
Martin Luther King, Jr. High School
Download Recommendation letter Samples in MS word.
Recommendation letter template
Letter of recommendation example
Recommendation letter scholarship
6: Letter of Recommendation Template
Dear Admissions Committee,
It is my pleasure to recommend Joe, who I taught in my 11th grade math class. Joe demonstrated tremendous effort and growth throughout the year and brought great energy to class. He has that combination of a positive attitude and the belief that he can always improve that’s rare in a high school student but so essential to the learning process. I am confident that he will continue to display the same commitment and diligence in everything he does. I highly recommend Joe for admission to your school.
Joe would not describe himself as a math person. He’s told me on several occasions that all the numbers and variables make his mind go fuzzy. Joe did, in fact, struggle to comprehend the material at the beginning of the year, but his response to this is what really struck me. Where so many others have given up, Joe took on this class as a welcome challenge. He stayed after school for extra help, got extra tutoring at the nearby college, and asked questions in and out of class. Due to all his hard work, Joe not only raised his grades, but he also inspired some of his classmates to stay after for extra help as well. Joe truly demonstrated a growth mindset, and he inspired his peers to adopt that valuable perspective, too. Joe helped contribute to our classroom environment as one where all students can feel supported and be able to ask questions.
Joe’s years as a baseball player most likely influenced his strong belief in his ability to learn new skills and get better through practice. He’s played all through high school and is one of the team’s most valuable players. In his final for our class, Joe designed an impressive project calculating and analyzing batting averages. While he initially described himself as not a math person, Joe reaped the benefits of his tremendous effort and found a way to make the subject come alive for him in a way that he was personally invested in. As a teacher, it is incredibly fulfilling to witness a student make this kind of academic and personal progress.
Joe is a trustworthy, reliable, good-humored student and friend who supports others in and out of the classroom. He was a pleasure to have in class, and his positive attitude and belief in himself, even in the face of difficulty, are an immensely admirable asset. I’m confident that he will continue to demonstrate the same diligence, perseverance, and optimism that he showed myself and his peers. I highly recommend Joe for admission to your undergraduate program. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Mr. Wiles
Math Teacher
Euclid High School
Download Recommendation letter Samples in PDF.
No. 1 recommendation letter pdf