In looking ahead to Susies college years, I am certain that she is ready to tackle the

rigorous and challenging curriculum of the collegiate level. Susie will not take the
path of least resistance, rather, she will push herself to continue to grow and
develop as a creative thinker. She will immerse herself in her new community and
she will share her energy, enthusiasm, commitment and talent with her peers and
her professors. Susie Student is an exceptional candidate and it is with the utmost
The recommender transitions into a discussion about something intangible, her
work ethic. However, the recommender is careful to give specific examples which
support her assertion that Susie has a good work ethic, such as her role as mentor
in the classroom. Notice that although the recommender is discussing the future
which he cannot predict, he does not offer qualifying statements such as to the
best of my knowledge which might cast doubt on his praise of Susie. Instead, he
sticks to direct and affirmative statements. confidence that I recommend her to
your college or university. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any
further questions.

It is my pleasure to recommend Jane Doe for admission to [name of program] at

[name of university]. I am a fifth-year Ph.D. student at the University of California,
Berkeley. I came to know Jane when I was her Graduate Student Instructor for
Philosophy 111: Ethical Relativism, taught by Professor John Smith. The course
comprised [short description of course]. Jane distinguished herself by submitting an
exceptionally well researched and interesting project on ethical practices in ancient
Greece. I would rank her in the top 2% of students that I have taught in the past five
years in respect of her writing ability and research skills. Overall, Jane is highly
intelligent and has good analytical skills. Her project on ethical practices in ancient
Greece demonstrated her ability to come a detailed understanding of the ethical
practices of another, very different, culture, and to analyze the consequences of
those practices for contemporary ethical theories. She gave a particularly
interesting discussion of the difficult practice of infanticide, and showed both
sensitivity and detachment when discussing its ethical consequences. Her overall
intelligence is also reflected in her grades for the course, which were by far the best
in the class. Jane has excellent communication skills. Her written work is both clear
and concise, as well as interesting to read. She demonstrated her oral
articulateness in the discussion sections that were an integral part of the course.
Each discussion section focused on a particular ethical dilemma. Students were
required analyze morally problematic situations, and to develop and argue for their
own ethical views with regard to the issue in question. Jane was highly proficient in
applying the course material in analyzing the problem situations. She always
explained her views very concisely and gave supporting arguments that were both
clear and persuasive. Jane also demonstrated good teamwork skills in group
assignments. At a personal level, Jane is a well disciplined, industrious student with
a pleasant personality. She went well beyond the course requirements in the
quantity and quality of her project, putting in a lot of extra research and attending
office hours every week. Throughout the course, Jane demonstrated great
perseverance and initiative. Not only was she interested in and motivated to learn

the material, but she also put great work into assimilating it to her own experience
and developing her own ideas about each ethical topic that we discussed. Jane is
unquestionably an exceptional candidate for graduate study in Ethics. Janes work in
Philosophy 111 suggests that she would greatly benefit from the opportunities for
intellectual development provided by a sustained period of graduate study. She has
proven herself to have the perseverance, initiative, and Sample letter of
recommendation intellectual creativity necessary to complete an advanced
graduate degree. I would therefore highly recommend Jane Doe. If her performance
in my class is a good indication of how she would perform as a graduate student,
she would be an extremely positive asset to your program. If I can be of any further
assistance, or provide you with any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

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, 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 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 nautics 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 means 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
milevafanclub@gmail.com if you have any questions.

he Break Down
Ms. Randall plugs for Stacy right off the bat with a statement of outstanding ranking: Stacy is one
of the most exceptional students she's had in 15 years of teaching. A statement like this is pretty
extraordinary and will make an impact in the mind of its readers. Stacy sounds like a special student,
and she chose her recommender well.
Like in the last example, this letter uses strong, specific language, calling Stacy a perceptive and
sharp person who has the confidence and good humor to take intellectual risks. Through its accurate
and expressive language, this letter helps Stacy come to life in the mind of the reader.
Beyond the evaluation, Ms. Randall gives specific examples of Stacy's academic and personal
strengths. She talks about her successful teaching in Robotics Club, her leadership in group
projects, and her dedicated practice to teaching herself to play the guitar.
Rather than spreading the letter too thin, Ms. Randall highlights a few core themes. She connects
Stacy's love of music with her passion for physics by talking about the frequency-dependent sound
absorption project. All the threads tie together in a nice, memorable bow.
This letter is a strong vote of support for Stacy's application to an engineering program. Her physics
teacher admires Stacy's skills and goals, and she made it clear that Stacy had her highest
recommendation in this letter.