General Letter Writing Requirements Guidelines for writing recommendations for: Academic Graduate School Letter Requirements
Guidelines for Writing Recommendations for:Academic Graduate SchoolIndicate how long you have known the applicant and in what capacity. Graduate schools are primarily interested in recommendations that come from professors who know the applicant and his/her academic work as well as from employers. They are primarily interested in faculty members' summary estimates of the candidate's general promise as a graduate student. The more the recommendation reflects real knowledge of the applicant and his/her performance, the more useful the letter is to the graduate school admissions committees and thus to the applicant. The letter should address the following questions:
Business SchoolBusiness schools are primarily interested in recommendations from professors who know the applicant and his/her academic work, as well as from employers. Note: Schools which usually only accept applicants with several years or more of full-time experience often place greater importance on letters from employers. They are interested in summary estimates of the applicant's general promise as a student of business. The more the evaluation reflects real knowledge of the applicant and his/her performance, the more useful the letter is to the business school admissions committees and thus to the applicant. The letter should address the following:
Law SchoolLaw schools are primarily interested in recommendations that come from professors who know the student and his/her academic work, as well as from employers who can write about the factors noted below. They are interested in summary estimates of the candidate's general promise as a student of law. The more the evaluation reflects real knowledge of the student and his/her performance, the more useful the letter is to the law school's admissions committee and thus to the student. Indicate how long you have known the applicant and in what capacity. It should address the following questions:
Health Professions SchoolsHealth professions schools are interested in recommendations which come from professors, research supervisors, etc., who know the student and his/her academic work well. The more the evaluation reflects real knowledge of the student and his/her performance, the more useful the letter is to both the school and the student. Letters which say little more than what the student received for a grade are of very limited value. Comments which help to put the student's performance in perspective and make clear the letter writer's opportunity to evaluate the student are very helpful. For example, comments concerning the grading scale or the level at which the class is taught may make your evaluation more meaningful. Health professions schools desire your opinion on the following:
Medical SchoolYour letter makes a difference. Many of the medical schools that receive a large number of Cal student applications must choose from among more than 5,000 applicants to matriculate 120 medical students. The insight that you provide in your letter of evaluation is essential to the admissions committee making decisions in this difficult selection process. Your letter is written by the writers you choose. Cal medical school applicants should have three substantial letters, ideally two from science instructors, and one from a humanities or nonscience instructor. Each medical school sets its own criteria for the minimum and the maximum number of letters they will accept and each school may express a preference for who writes the letters. Applicants can find that information in the MSAR. Medical schools are looking for insight from the letter writer about you, the applicant, and especially seek opinions in the following areas:
It is the student's right to decide if the letter is confidential or non-confidential. Some may discuss this with you. Many medical school admissions officers have stated that they find a confidential letter a display of confidence on the part of the applicant. It is a good idea to use the pronoun "we" in a co-signed letter. If a GSI will write the letter, and a professor will "co-sign", it is best if the letter is written using the term "we", as in "we saw that Mr. Thorpe became more engaged as the class time included poetry readings". |