Letter of Recommendation: A Student's Guide

What a letter of recommendation is

A letter of recommendation (LOR) is written by someone who knows your academic or professional work — usually a teacher, professor, or supervisor — to give the admissions committee an independent view of your abilities. Many applications collect it directly from the recommender through their official systems, such as the recommender features on the Common App or references on UCAS.

Who to ask

Choose recommenders who know you well and can speak specifically about your strengths, rather than the most senior person who barely knows you. A detailed letter from a teacher who taught you closely is usually more useful than a generic one from a distant authority.

How to help your recommender

Ask early and politely, and give them what they need to write well — your goals, the programmes and deadlines, your CV or transcript, and a reminder of work you did with them. Make their job easier without dictating what they write.

• Ask well before the deadline
• Share your goals, CV, and the programme details
• Remind them of specific work you did together

Keep it honest

The letter must be written by the recommender, not by you. Writing your own letter for someone to sign, or forging a reference, is a serious integrity violation that can lead to rejection or worse. A genuine letter from someone who knows you is both the ethical and the more effective choice — and no letter can "guarantee" admission.