If you work in academia or industry, you will likely be asked to write a letter of recommendation at some point. However, most of us have no training on how to write these letters. For some opportunities, the reviewers may be reading hundreds of recommendations, making it more difficult for your letter to make an impression. If you want your letter to enhance a candidate’s chances, you need to be thoughtful in how you write it. 
 
Consider Your Fit
Most students (or others needing a letter) are unsure who they should ask for a recommendation: they may simply choose an instructor they like or the supervisor they worked for the longest. If you are asked to write a letter, ask why they chose you; the answer can help you decide what to write. Additionally, ask yourself:  Have you observed positive traits or accomplishments in this person that you could write about? Are you the best fit, or can you suggest someone better? Do you have time to produce an effective letter?
 
If you feel truly uncomfortable recommending the person, you can respectfully decline.
 
Gather Information
Writing the letter will be easier if you get some information up front.
 

• Ask the student for additional materials like a resume, copies or summaries of work they did for your class, drafts of essays they may need to write for the opportunity, and/or a description of the opportunity itself, which can help you determine what kind of accomplishments to highlight. For example, if a student asks for a letter for a scholarship rewarding leadership, discussing a research project where they worked alone might not be effective.
• If it interests you and you are genuinely committed to helping the student, you can offer to review their personal statement or other required materials and offer feedback.
• If possible, meet with the student to fill gaps in your knowledge–what are their goals? Why did they choose this opportunity? Is anyone else writing letters for them?
• Some scholarships ask students to find recommenders who can each speak to specific qualities or experiences. Ask the student if there is something specific they need you to write about.
• Ask the student if they would be willing to ghostwrite the letter if you don’t have time. Ghostwriting, in this context, means the student drafts the letter and then sends it to you for final editing or approval.
• Think about anyone you might know who could be related to the student’s chosen opportunity. Ask them for any pointers on what to emphasize.
• Get a firm deadline from the student since they may need materials before the published deadline.

 
Let the applicant know when you have submitted the letter and keep in touch with them. Some day you may need a former student or junior colleague to reciprocate by writing a letter for you!
 
Decide What to Discuss
Like any letter, a recommendation is going to include a beginning, middle, and end. What you choose to write in each of those sections can affect a student’s chances of receiving the opportunity.
 

• The introduction is crucial in a recommendation because many reviewers, pressed for time, skim letters. Make sure you list the purpose of your writing, your relationship to the student, how long you’ve known them, and a brief statement on the skills and competencies that you think make the student a good fit.
• Even though a recommendation letter is about the student, take time to establish your credibility—but be brief. For instance, you might indicate that you’ve taught biology to undergraduates for ten years or acknowledge that you’ve published extensively on the topic of the student’s master's thesis.
• Nevertheless, the recommendation is a chance for the reader to learn about the student, not who they chose to recommend them. Any description of yourself should be short, introductory information relevant to the student and opportunity. Otherwise, discussion of your own work should be avoided.
• Discuss the student in terms of your classroom and how those experiences or accomplishments can expand beyond your course. If you’ve worked with the student in other capacities, that’s especially important to mention!
• Keep praise concrete and observable. If you mention a characteristic like “ambition,” it should be supported with an example. Quantify anything you can. For example, “Taylor is an ambitious graduate student who led a group of 15 undergraduate researchers over the course of a five-week data analysis project,” or “This student is among the top five undergraduates I have taught in 20 years of teaching.”
• Provide specific examples instead of listing multiple skills and accomplishments. Choose two or three of the student’s skills that you can confidently talk about.
• Caring, kindness, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness are all great attributes, but they are difficult to judge and may be considered “soft” skills. Focusing on such qualities may do little to enhance the subject’s chances.
• Avoid mentioning personal information (such as a student’s disability or family status) unless you have the student’s explicit consent.
• A common way to format a paragraph talking about a student’s skill could be as follows: (1) Mention the skill; (2) Give an example; and (3) Connect your example to the opportunity.

 
“Macy values collaboration. At the beginning of our research course, they suggested students researching similar topics create regular meetings to reflect on their process and discuss issues. They believed everyone could learn from each other, even if the students were all new to the course. Macy’s desire to learn from others makes them an ideal candidate for a remote job that requires team projects.”
 
Some Final Tips 

• Remember, a recommendation letter is a letter. There should be a salutation at the beginning and closing at the end; use official letterhead when possible. Begin with “To Whom It May Concern” or a phrase like “Dear Scholarship Committee Members” and end with “Sincerely” before your signature to demonstrate your own professionalism.
• If you have participated in an opportunity similar to what the student is applying for, include it in your signature. For example:

Juliette Smith, PhD
Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University
Fulbright Scholar ‘94

• Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can provide a model for how to write a recommendation letter, but it cannot describe the personal experiences you’ve had with a student or the behavior you’ve witnessed in an employee. In order for a recommendation to stand out, it must be something beyond a standard, computer-generated template.

Ask a trusted colleague to review the letter for content and clarity before submitting.