If you are planning to study abroad, you need to submit an LOR as a part of the university application process. So, let’s understand LOR’s meaning, importance, and other interesting information.

Key Highlights

• LOR full form
• Importance of a Letter of Recommendation for a student
• Letter of Recommendation format
• Sample recommendation letter for a student
• Template for a student recommendation letter
• Letter of Recommendation for masters courses: Writing tips
• Mistakes to avoid in a Letter of Recommendation for post-graduate courses

LOR full form

LOR is an abbreviation for “Letter of Recommendation”. This document provides great insights into your student profile to the admission committee of the university. Your college professor or mentor will share the LOR.

Importance of a Letter of Recommendation for a student

A recommendation letter or LOR is an essay outlining your academic performance, skills, experiences, achievements, and capabilities. This letter provides credibility to your profile, convinces the admission committee of your suitability for your chosen program, and increases your chances of securing a spot at your chosen varsity.

Read Also: Letter of Recommendation for masters: Importance, format and sample

Letter of Recommendation format

Section	Details
Introduction	This should include a brief introduction of the recommender (professor/faculty member), including their credentials, such as name, designation, workplace details, relationship with the student, etc.
Academic performance	It must include the details of the courses students pursued under their recommenders’ guidance. Showcasing records of students’ academic performance (grades and achievements) is necessary. Students can highlight the research, projects, or any specific skills they developed during the program.
Highlight qualities with examples	Qualities that professors have noticed while guiding the students can be included. For instance, your mentor can mention that they observed your leadership skills when you proactively participated and successfully managed an event in your college.
Conclusion	It is advised to conclude an LOR by sharing specific reasons a recommender thinks that you are a good fit for the program. Contact details of a recommender have to be added, too.

Sample recommendation letter for a student

Read Also: 5 Tips to Get the Best Letter of Recommendation

Let’s understand LOR with an example. Here is a sample Letter of Recommendation for a graduate program in Mechanical Engineering, just for your reference.

Template for a student recommendation letter

To,
The Admission Committee,
University and country name,
Respected Sir/Ma’am,
I am writing this letter to recommend XXXX for admission to the “MS in Mechanical Engineering” program at your esteemed university. I have supervised them for 4 years during their undergraduate studies, where they demonstrated exceptional abilities in both academic and research settings.
XXXX consistently performed well in all the semesters and took the initiative to learn beyond the classrooms by frequently visiting libraries and participating in Engineering seminars. They scored above 90% throughout their bachelor’s program and are well-versed in the modern techniques required for designing different types of machines. Moreover, one of the notable contributions was their project, “Eco-friendly machines for households”, which earned them a lot of recognition. They actively participated in workshops and competitions focused on affordable and practical machine designs for industries and won several accolades.
XXXX is extremely passionate about research and even presented a research paper titled “Design and Development of an Electrical Bicycle” at the international conference. All faculty members were impressed by their extensive research and sincere approach. Their unusual interest in the subject encouraged them to enrol in online courses that further strengthened their domain knowledge.
In the last 4 years, I witnessed their zeal to take challenges and overcome them with their dedication, problem-solving skills, and leadership abilities. In my opinion, they possess all the qualities required to excel in an MS program and will prove to be a valuable asset to your institute. I sincerely wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
Sincerely,
[Signature of the recommender]

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Letter of Recommendation for masters courses: Writing tips

• Sometimes, recommenders might ask you to share your CV or send them the initial draft of your LOR so they are better equipped to highlight the important aspects. By providing the necessary information, you can help them draft an impeccable LOR.

• Please stick to the word limit as specified by the university. The ideal word limit is 400-600 words.

• After your LOR is ready, proofreading is essential to avoid grammatical errors.

Mistakes to avoid in a Letter of Recommendation for post-graduate courses

• A generic LOR will not add much value to your candidature. Therefore, you need to draft a course-specific LOR that meets your university requirements.

• Do not approach the wrong recommender. It is important to ask for a recommendation letter from someone who is well aware of your educational journey and potential.

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Hopefully, this information will help you draft an engaging LOR. If you are facing any financial challenges in your study abroad journey, you can apply for an education loan. At Avanse Financial Services, we offer a loan for students with several benefits. Get in touch with us to know these benefits, education loan eligibility criteria, and more.