Letters of recommendation may be written in a classic format that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. There may also be specific requirements for certain letters that you may need to follow. In most cases, however, any well-organized format will be acceptable. Look at the following sample format:

A great first step is to jot down a list of keywords and key phrases -- accomplishments and qualities -- you want to address within the letter. Such a list will help you avoid the most common mistake made in these letters: vague, metaphoric writing. Anchor your writing to specific images and anecdotes; provide concrete, convincing evidence. 

Classify your keywords into:

• professional/academic qualities 

Is this person a leader?
Is this person a strong team player? 
Is this person a keen analytical thinker?
Is this person capable of conducting sophisticated research?

• specific skills

Strong communication skills?
Fluency in certain languages?

• personal qualities 

Does this person get along with peers? 
Does this person have a good sense of humor?

• past accomplishments 

What are the principal two or three accomplishments this person has achieved under my guidance?

• weaknesses

What are some points this person must address to advance his/her career?
How well does this person learn from past mistakes?

• future potential 

What do I believe this person is capable of achieving?

Letters of recommendation vary widely in content and form, but solid letters contain a number of common traits. Here below is an outline for a well-structured letter that covers all main points.

Introduction

• Introduce yourself as the recommender. State your professional position, how you know the applicant, the length of your relationship, and any other pertinent information to build your credibility as a knowledgeable contributor.

• Provide an overview of your general impressions of the applicant.

Body

• Cover one exceptional quality of the applicant in each paragraph

• Use specific examples to show how you observed each quality

• Address qualities in order of importance

• Keep the body of the letter to two or three paragraphs

Conclusion

• Confirm that the applicant would be a desirable employee, adding any other comments you feel appropriate.

• Encourage the reader to contact you for additional information or with any questions.

• Don't forget to personally sign the letter.

Sincerely

......................
Divya

Note: Don't forget to personally sign the letter.

THE CONTENTS OF A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

For the content of a well-documented letter, the following are further suggestions

 >>> You should promptly identify yourself and the basis of your knowledge of the student: Were you a Teaching Fellow in a tutorial or small seminar for department concentrators? How often did it meet, how many students? how many papers? Do you also know the student through exposure as a House Tutor, or some other capacity? Has your acquaintance been sustained over a number of years? Writing the letter on department letterhead is a further form of identification.

>>> In evaluating a student's intellectual capabilities, try to describe the student in terms that reflect that student's distinctive or individual strengths. Whatever strengths strike you as particularly salient, be prepared to back up your judgement with concrete examples - papers, exams, class presentations, or performance in a laboratory.

Above all, avoid the misconception that the more superlatives that you use, the stronger the letter. Heavy use of stock phrases or cliches in general is unhelpful. Your letter can only be effective if it contains substantive information about the student's qualifications.

>>> Ranking the student may be requested or desired by selection committees. Having concentrated on the student's individual or unique strengths, you might find it difficult to do so. Ranking is of course less of a problem if a student is unambiguously among the top five or ten percent that you have taught, or so outstanding that he or she would safely rank high in any group. Many of the students who come to you for a letter, however, will not fall within that small unambiguous group. If you wish to offer some comparative perspective, you might be more readily able to do so in more specific areas: Is the student one of the most articulate? original? clear-thinking? motivated? intellectually curious? Some schools or fellowships have forms which ask for rankings broken down into specific areas.

If you lack sufficient information to answer some questions posed or suggested in an application, it is best to maintain the integrity and credibility of your letter, and say only what you are in a position to say.

>>> In discussing a student's character, proceed in a similar fashion to the intellectual evaluation, highlighting individual traits and providing concrete illustrations.

>>> After discussing each of the above points, your letter should have some brief summation, giving the main thrust of your recommendation for the candidate.

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HOW TO ACQUIRE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE LETTER

Meeting with the Student

Even if you know a student very well, the process of writing an effective letter can be greatly facilitated if you arrange to have an interview with the student, using this as an opportunity to discuss the student's goals - short-term and long - and to acquire more precise information in any area where it is needed.

Obtaining Written Materials

As you arrange a meeting with a student, you should also ask the student to bring the following items:

1) a resume or curriculum vitae,
2) a paper or an exam written for your course,
3) a copy of the application essay or fellowship statement of purpose
4) a transcript
5) any literature that describes the fellowship or program for which the student is applying; specific recommendation forms or questionnaires if they are provided for the letter writer to complete
6) the date on which the recommendation is due, as well as the address - preferably an addressed envelope to which it must be sent
7) a waiver form (obtained by the student from the House Senior Tutor), indicating whether or not the student waives his or her right to see the letter of recommendation. If the student has any questions about this decision, you might point out that there are important benefits in maintaining the confidentiality of letters. Selection committees, for example, tend to view confidential letters as having greater credibility and assign them greater weight; also, some letter writers actually feel less inhibited in their praise of students in confidential letters. While making these points, be sure to make it clear that it is up to the student to decide.

One other factor that greatly facilitates letter writing is if you can write a letter as soon as possible after you have taught a student, while your impressions are still vivid and fresh. You might consider encouraging students to make their requests early, rather than waiting until senior year or beyond. These early letters can be placed in the students' House files, as well as maintained in your own files for future reference.

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