Guidelines for Reference Letters
Key Guidelines:
ü Select your referees wisely. Referees should be individuals who can vouch for your character, past achievements, extra-curricular activities, leadership and other skills, potential for growth and success and other attributes.
ü It is recommended that the letter is printed on a letter head.
ü The letter should include all critical parts as per the guidelines of the institution you are applying to including an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. Other essential parts to include are proper salutations, the referee’s signature, institution logo or stamp etc. as applicable.
ü The content of the letter needs to align with the opportunity applied for.
ü Provide your referees with clear guidelines on the formalities of the submission i.e., how the reference should be submitted to the institution, details required or areas to be elaborated, timelines for submitting, mode of submission, etc. A late, generic, or inappropriate recommendation does not add points to your application and may result in disqualification.
ü Give ample time to your referees for them to write a strong reference letter.
Example
*This is only an example for illustration purposes. We recommend that the referees use their own words.
SCHOOL LOGO
Mrs. Rose Sitati,
High Achievers’ High School,
45678-00300,
Starehe, Nairobi
The Scholarships Selection Committee
The XYZP Foundation
23 Street Britania Street
10017
New York
Dear Sir/Madam,
Recommendation Letter for Scholarship
I wish to recommend Mary Roberts for the XYZP Foundation Scholarship Program for international students. I have known Mary for the last four years during which she was a student at High Achievers’ High School. I was her former 12th grade Business Studies teacher, and I can attest to her dedication for hard work in the subject in addition to many others that I taught her over the years.
Mary is very hardworking, paying great attention to her studies and extra-curricular activities as well. Despite coming from a humble background as her parents are subsistence farmers, she overcame her financial hardships and worked hard to excel in all her courses. She always sought for small jobs related to academic writing among others during the school holidays to help her pay for her upkeep when the school reopened.
Mary has always impressed her teachers with her hard work, passion, and determination. She always asked for help outside the class on subjects and topics that she did not have a good grasp of, to understand the class content better. She was passionate about creating simple business models and participating in art fairs and competitions run by the school district. However, her biggest passion was to serve others.
Mary impressed me with her leadership abilities as well. She was a class prefect and representative for various projects that she collaborated with her classmates and usually tried to have everyone’s opinion heard which made her get along easily with her peers. She was respectful not only to the teaching staff but to the other personnel in the school as well including secretaries.
Mary always showed a great interest and strategic planning in her academics. She carefully chose business as her major as she planned to study for a business management course in order to serve the people of her community by providing solutions to entrepreneurs. This is in addition to her aspiration of providing employment services to companies that are not only making profits but making a difference in the society. I do not have any doubts about Mary succeeding in her plans and excelling beyond what is required of her as a scholar as she has shown the aptitude to do anything that she puts her mind on. She was one of the most talented and highly motivated students I have taught in the last decade.
I believe that her continuous endeavor to make a positive change in any community that she is part of will enable her to become well integrated into the University that she plans to attend in addition to being assimilated and thriving in your scholarship program.
I strongly recommend Mary Roberts for the scholarship as I feel that she is the right candidate for the program and because she deserves this scholarship.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Teacher: Mrs. Rose Sitati