LOR for Student to Study Abroad

LOR stands for Letter of Recommendation. LOR is used to certify and assess the candidate’s applications by those who reviewed the student under a professional atmosphere. A LOR provides brief information about the student’s skills, academic records, talents, certifications, etc to the admission department of the university. Additionally, for students intending to study abroad, a well-crafted LOR can significantly enhance their application.

Types of LOR

Academic LOR

A letter of recommendation from your academic institution’s instructors is known as an Academic LOR. This recommendation letter can come from instructors, school counselors, or administrators if you’re applying for an undergraduate course; professors, deans, or counselors if you’re applying for a master’s degree.

Professional LOR

Most institutions throughout the world now require candidates to have some prior work experience when applying for post-graduate studies. Along with their résumé, universities need candidates to submit a Letter of Recommendation from a superior, team leader, or manager. The professional LOR differs from the academic LOR in that it contains information about the candidate’s skills, abilities, and knowledge, among other things.

Points to Remember While Writing LOR

• Remember that LOR is only written on the official letterhead of the university/college/organization
• Letter of recommendation must include correct and authentic information which means only true strengths and weaknesses of the candidate should be included
• Letter of recommendation must be written in the official language of the country in which the candidate is applying. (Most of the university prefers the English language for LOR)
• Official e-mail address, phone number, and signature of the person whose writing must be included in the LOR
• The name of the university and the name of the course you’re applying to must be mentioned in LOR
• LOR must be written by the university’s faculty members or managers/mentors/colleagues
• The recommender must tell from how long he knows the candidate. He must tell about the events where he made a positive observation about the candidate
• Letter of Recommendation must end with a formal letter closing (name, title, and signature, and contact information) and the recommender should tell the admission department that he is open to sharing more information about the candidate and provide the details of the time in which he will be available to talk in case of any query or doubts
• The recommender must write LOR while describing the positive information of the candidate that includes the candidate’s achievements, certification, good academics, and his contribution in the school/college in the entire tenure of the candidate’s school/college

Common Mistakes to Avoid in LOR

Spelling Errors

Error in spelling, vocabulary, or grammar in your LOR can reduce the chances of your application getting selected. Spelling mistakes in LOR can make the admission department doubt your Referee’s credibility.

Choosing the Wrong Recommender

Choosing the wrong recommender could be your worst mistake; an applicant must select the most reliable and correct individual to write his LOR. The Recommender you choose must be familiar with your strengths, talents, and accomplishments in order to write the LOR in the most compelling and perfect manner possible, making the admissions committee believe that the candidate is a fair candidate for admission to the university. By selecting the incorrect recommender, a candidate can significantly reduce his or her chances of being admitted to the targeted university.

Plagiarism

Using plagiarized content in your Letter of Recommendation is one of the most unappealing things you or your recommender can do, and it will almost certainly cause the admission committee to lose interest in your application. You can study Letter of recommendation samples, but just for references. Copying and pasting may appear to be a simple task, but it can erode your application’s credibility.

Rushing in the Last Minute

A candidate must decide and ask for a LOR from the recommender at least 30 days before he/she has to submit it. Therefore it is advised to choose your recommender in advance. Giving the recommender enough time to write your letter of recommendation will eventually allow him to write a potential LOR which will play a major role in getting your application selected for admission. Rushing at the last minute to your recommender to write LOR can make him angry or conscious.

Not Being Different from SOP or Resume

Your LOR must be original, which means it cannot be similar to your SOP. If your LOR repeats the accomplishments listed in your SOP or resume, it will appear to the admissions committee that you are overconfident or that you don’t have anything to say.