Letter of Recommendation for Master’s: Benefits, Format, Techniques, & Sample

Table of Contents

1. What is a Letter of Recommendation for a Master’s?
2. Benefits of LoR for Master’s Admission Abroad
3. Tips to Craft a LoR for a Master’s
4. What is the Format of a LoR for a Master’s? 
5. Sample LOR for Master’s Abroad
6. Frequently asked questions

Letter of Recommendation (LoR) can strongly influence your admission chances by offering valid proof of your candidacy. It sheds light on your uniqueness and individuality in a pool of similar-looking applications. Understanding a LoR’s intricacies will help you utilize the opportunity to the maximum of your favour. 

What is a Letter of Recommendation for a Master’s?

For master’s admission abroad, a Letter of Recommendation is one of the mandatory documents. It is a document written by your professors or employers, highlighting your candidacy for admission. 

• By a LoR, you are recommended by an expert for admission to a university abroad.
• A LoR serves as proof of your skills, practical experience, and enthusiasm. 
• Usually, 2 – 3 LoRs are asked for admission to Master’s courses abroad. 

Benefits of LoR for Master’s Admission Abroad

• Credibility and validation of your application: Recommendations from your professor or an expert professional with valid contact details add weight to your credibility. Since these people know you personally, their expert opinion is accepted as a testimony for your admission eligibility.
• Highlights your personal qualities: A LoR can give a holistic view of your personality and let your personal attributes, like teamwork, leadership, persistence, etc., stand out. Crafting a LoR highlighting your personal qualities leads to a positive assessment of your profile, as these qualities are not explicit with your grades or academic certificates. 
• Details your potential and abilities: LoRs explain your persona in a subtle way. Through the third party’s words, you can effectively describe your skills and abilities, concluding it with your potential for future success. 
• Provides contextual information: LoRs explain your background in depth. They detail how you overcome challenges, your professional journey, your positive outlook, and your uniqueness compared to peers. 
• Documents your fit for the master’s program: Other than your academic scores and experience, LoRs are crucial to show proof of your eligibility for a master’s program. Your LoRs prove your goals and interests align perfectly with the program’s goals. The insights by a third party can offer customized insights tailored to the program’s offerings. 
• Supports your application: In your master’s application, LoRs support your claims by providing third-party validation. The supplementary information regarding the projects and research work you have done boosts your profile. 

Tips to Craft a LoR for a Master’s 

• Be purpose-oriented: Understand why you are submitting a LoR. When you ask your professor or employer to write a LoR, clearly convey the document’s purpose. Ensure your qualifications and skills are highlighted for your master’s admission and that the document addresses the right people. 
• Submit your information in detail: Although the one crafting the LoR knows you well, provide additional information regarding you before they craft a LoR. It will enhance the depth of your document and give an authentic touch to it. Ask your writer to contextualize your achievements by rightly highlighting your personal qualities. 
• Maintain the specified format: Stick to the formal format specified for your LoR. For a master’s, a LoR is expected to be a formal document with addresses, salutations, candidate details, writer details, and details of recommendation.

What is the Format of a LoR for a Master’s? 

A LoR for a master’s is a formal document with candidate details, writer information, and recommendations. It can be 1 or 2 pages long, around 400 – 500 words. It is the information that matters the most, not the length of your document. 

• Date: Specifically mention the date of writing a LoR. It is better to put a recent date on the application. 
• Institution address: Address the institution of your master’s admission in the first place. 
• Opening: Start your LoR with greetings, like “Dear Officer” or “Dear DSO”. If the opposite person’s address is not clear, you can simply state, “To whoever it may concern”. 
• Acknowledge the consent: Your LoR writer must acknowledge the complete consent to write a LoR for you. The document can begin like, for example, “It is my pleasure to recommend AAA for Master’s in Finance at BBB University”.
• Writer information: Don’t forget to clearly mention who is writing the LoR and the writer’s relation to the student. 
• Give recommendation: Directly start with the recommendation and state why the student is eligible for master’s admission to the specific university. The reasons can be the student’s skills proven in research activities, internships, collaborations, etc. 
• Conclude and sign: Conclude the recommendation organically and sign the document. 

In short, LORs should be on the official letterheads of the institute/organization. They must have the signature of the writer along with the seal of the institute/organization. It should also have the recommender’s official email address.

How to submit a letter of recommendation?

Many universities ask the recommenders to email them directly from their official email address. In other cases, the letters of recommendation are sent along with your academic documents. Once you receive the letter of recommendation from your professor or employer, verify the information and upload it to the university application portal. 

Sample LOR for Master’s Abroad

Here is a Letter of Recommendation sample for a master’s abroad. If you are searching for a template, customize the document in your favour and get it reviewed by an expert. 

In short, understand your purpose and focus on crafting unique LoRs to highlight your application for a master’s. 2 – 3 such LoRs act as a strong catalyst for your master’s admission success. Ensure you include your personal information, skills, achievements, and all the merit in your LoRs. 

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Frequently asked questions

Is a LoR mandatory for master’s admission abroad? 

Generally, 1 – 3 letters of recommendation are required for master’s admission abroad in STEM and non-STEM categories. 

How LoRs help in your master’s admission? 

Letters of recommendation show your unique candidacy and trustworthiness. These documents are proof for your eligibility to get admission to a master’s program. 

Are LoRs related to academic grades? 

A letter of recommendation is not directly related to your academic performance. However, a strong academic background is helpful when you document your strong candidacy in your LoR. 

Who is an ideal fit for writing a LoR for a master’s? 

Your professors or an employer who closely worked with you are some people who can write a LoR for you. In the case of an employer, your work must be related to your field of study. 

Will universities abroad contact the person who wrote a LoR? 

You must provide your LoR writer’s contact information. Universities abroad may or may not contact your LoR writers.