Letter of Recommendation (LOR)
Recommendation : 【Study Abroad Admissions】 2023-2024 Study Abroad Admissions and Scholarships Summary
1. Overview
1. Overview
⑴ Importance
① The more prestigious the school, the less important language scores and grades are, with recommendation letters and SOP playing a significant role in acceptance
② However, with the emergence of ChatGPT, recommendation letter content seems to be becoming standardized
⑵ Recommenders
① Recommenders can be advising professors, supervising professors, professors from classes taken, professors involved in projects or papers, or company supervisors
② There may be bonus points if recommenders are from different affiliations
③ Recommenders in the USA
○ If possible, it’s good to ask someone in the USA to write a recommendation letter: networking plays a stronger role than expected
○ Letters written by professors in the USA tend to contain strong endorsements
○ Even a formal letter of recommendation from someone in the USA is meaningful
○ Strategically securing a recommender in the USA, such as through exchange programs, is advantageous
④ Domestic professors might have less influence, but knowing them can still be helpful
⑤ Recommenders from related fields can be beneficial
⑥ Recommenders must be cautious, as overrating a poor candidate can impact their reputation
⑦ If your recommender or co-author is a Nobel Prize or Fields Medal laureate, you should definitely include that title in your CV. Get used to the American-style PR.
⑶ Content
① A good recommendation letter
○ Should mention top % or top ranking… postdoc-level research experience… specific figures…
○ Exaggeratedly positive wording should be requested
○ However, a story-driven letter is more powerful than just wording
② The same content is often used for multiple letters, so it’s advisable to request not to mention specific schools
③ There’s no limit on the length of a recommendation letter, which can be uploaded as a PDF or Word document
④ Sometimes, applicants draft the letter themselves
○ Or in some cases, enter it directly into the recommender’s computer
○ However, most universities, like Stanford, explicitly prohibit this
○ Be careful as it might result in a story from the applicant’s perspective, not the professor’s
⑤ If the recommender’s email is not an institutional email, a handwritten signature might be required
⑥ Quantitative evaluation is preferred over qualitative evaluation
⑷ Procedure
① Step 1. Check the required number of recommendation letters
○ Both U.S. master’s and Ph.D. programs usually require 3 letters, but up to 6 can be submitted depending on the school
○ In the UK, Ph.D. programs require 3 letters, and master’s programs require 2
○ Submitting additional letters doesn’t have much effect: often only the first 3 are evaluated on a first-come-first-serve basis
② Step 2. Requesting recommendation letters
○ When asking for a letter, provide the recommender with a CV, SOP, transcript, and list of schools applied to
○ If the applicant and recommender haven’t recently worked closely, the request should be detailed and sent via email
○ Start early, as writing recommendation letters can take time
③ Step 3. Entering recommender information on the application page
○ Preferably use the recommender’s institutional email address
○ Using a Gmail address, for example, may require additional steps
○ Such as a handwritten signature
○ Waiver : Giving up the right to view the recommendation letter
○ Under The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, applicants have the right to view recommendation letters
○ However, waiving this right makes the letter seem more honest and trustworthy to the admission committee
○ Some departments don’t evaluate letters without a waiver: it’s considered a formality but doesn’t impact the requirement
○ Once the recommender submits the documents, the recommendation status changes, and a confirmation page and email are sent to both the recommender and applicant
○ Most schools prefer uploading letters into a specific system rather than sending them via email
○ Some schools allow using letter services like Interfolio’s Dossier service
○ However, [Stanford](https://biosciences.stanford.edu/how-to-apply/#:~:text=Letters%20of%20recommendation%20cannot%20be%20submitted%20via%20a%20letter%20service%20(i.e
.%20Interfolio)%2C%20mailed%2C%20emailed%2C%20or%20faxed.) explicitly prohibits the use of Interfolio
④ Step 4. Recommendation letter deadline
○ Case 1. Some schools require all recommendation letters to be submitted before accepting the application
○ Case 2. Applications can be submitted even if not all letters are in, and document evaluation starts shortly after
○ Case 3. Some schools explicitly set a specific date after the application deadline for recommendation letters
⑤ Step 5. After submitting the recommendation letters
○ Thank you mail: it’s good to send thank you emails to recommenders after application deadlines
○ If there are doubts about the letter’s content, the admission committee might contact the recommender again
2. Sample Questions
⑴ MIT
① What particularly qualifies this applicant for study at MIT?
② What are the applicant’s accomplishments in research or independent projects?
③ How does the applicant compare to other students you know who have attended MIT?
④ Can the student clearly communicate ideas in written and spoken English?
⑤ Do you have any reservations about the applicant’s ability to succeed at MIT?
Entered : 2022.10.01 23:12