Letter of Recommendations from Professor – A Complete Guide

Looking for a powerful LOR from someone who is in a higher academic hierarchy? A letter of recommendation from professor would be a great choice.  Whether you are writing it yourself or getting it written by your professor, you may have a lot of questions. Don’t worry because this blog covers everything you need to know. 

By reading this blog carefully till the end, you will get a fair idea of: 

• What is a letter of recommendation from professor? 
• How to write an LOR from professor? 
• Letter of recommendation from professor example.

What is an LOR from Professor?

Letter of recommendation from professor is an authorization letter you will receive from a professor who taught you in college or university recommending you to a higher education program or job or promotion. 

LOR from professor is among the most sought-after reference letters out there. 

It carries much weight.

Who Benefits Most from LOR from Professor?

You will have the most benefit from an LOR from professor only if you have been taught by a professor. The following are the type of students who get the most out of this type of reference letter. 

Types of Reference Letter from Professor?

Based on the purpose for which they are written, reference letters can be classified into two different types – academic recommendation letters and professional reference letters.

Academic Recommendation Letter

An academic recommendation letter from professor is requested by a student when he or she is looking for admission to a higher education program or any other academic purposes, for instance, a scholarship. Let’s analyze all the different scenarios where an academic recommendation letter from professor is required.

For Higher Studies

You will need a recommendation letter for higher studies from professor to include it in the application for admission to any further education programs. 

For University Admission

A recommendation letter for university admission from professor is required exclusively for university-level admission as it is a highly competitive arena.

For Scholarship

Scholarship programs are given out to eligible candidates who prove their merit through their outstanding academic excellence and recommendation letter for scholarship from professor.

For Master’s Degree

For a master’s program, your admission is determined on the basis of the amount of support you have in the Letter of recommendation from professor for masters degree. If you are applying for MBA, you need a specifically written letter of recommendation for MBA from professor.

For PhD Admission

Like master’s programs, PHD admission is highly competitive. You will need a strong recommendation letter for PhD admission from professors. 

For Job

These days, an increasing number of recruiters ask for a recommendation letter from professor for job. The letter helps them know the personality traits as well as unique skills and strengths of the applicants. 

For Internship

When you try to look for relevant internship programs, one of the requirements would be a letter of recommendation for internship from professor in the application.

How to Write a Compelling Reference Letter from Professor?

In most cases, the professors whom you request to recommend you would ask you to write the recommendation letter as they have more priority tasks on their to-do list. When you write your own LOR from professor, consider the following steps. 

• Address the authorities with an essence of respect and professionalism
• Establish the connection with the student
• Highlight the core traits, focusing on academics
• Explain the personality of the candidate, with reference to extracurricular activities, research skills, etc.
• Justify why the candidate would be fit for the course
• Interpret how the student would benefit from the particular program, with reference to the institution
• Summarize the core aspects once again, before signing off on a positive note

Samples for LOR from Professor

Perhaps, analyzing a letter of recommendation template from professor would help you get a holistic understanding of this authorization document. Take a look at the sample below. 

Formatting Your Letter of Recommendation from Professor

The admission authorities need to scrutinize hundreds of applications and LORs. Unless you present your recommendation letter from professor with a unique pitch, your application is likely to be futile. In order to make your application stand out, focus on the following aspects: 

• Choose the most appropriate LOR template, ensuring that the document is structurally sound.
• Select the best font, that would complement the presentation style.
• Work on other subtle aspects, like typography, size of alphabets, spacing and margins.
• Choose an individual and unique style, that would establish a different tone.
• Focus on the selection of words, ensuring qualitative enhancements in the LOR.

How to Request a Reference Letter for Student from Professor?

It is up to the professor to decide whether to recommend you or not. Hence, when you request a professor for LOR, be careful and tactful.

Ask in person:

If at all possible, meet the professor in person and request for the LOR. 

Provide all details:

When you request a professor for LOR, be informed to provide him with all the relevant details about you.

Request LOR in advance:

Most professors are busy with their priority tasks. Given that LOR is your need, request it in advance.

Be specific in your request:

You should have a better understanding of your LOR requirement and mention that clearly to your professor.

What to Write In An Email Request for LOR from Professor?

For one or the other reason, if you can’t meet the professor in person and request the LOR, you can send an email asking for letter of recommendation from professor. 

• Make sure that the email is straight to the point. Keep its subject line like ‘Your name – Recommendation Letter Request’. 
• Your professor may have forgotten you as he deals with many students. So, talk about the year you studied under his tutelage and include a few specific details to help him recollect some details about you. 
• It is better to include your academic resume as well in your email request. 

Conclusion

Did you find this blog on writing letter of recommendation from professor helpful? 

We are eager to know.

A powerful recommendation letter for student from professor is a game changer in your application for higher studies, job or promotion. 

If you have any question regarding this topic, rest assured that we can clarify it for you. 

Feel free to comment your questions or doubts or suggestions in the comments below.