Reusable Materials 12: Draft Letters of Recommendation for Referrals

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials help you WOW committees and save time

Joel applied for several scholarships. His master application impressed scholarship committees with his leadership, athletics, service, and creative talent. We still use one of his home run statements as an example in our workshops. Joel also went the extra mile to prepare people he asked to write letters of recommendation. He would send 2-4 specific home run statements that applied to that letter writer. He even offered to draft the letters of recommendation on behalf of the letter writers. His letters of recommendation confirmed the home run statements listed in his applications, thus enhancing his credibility and reputation.

Offer to Draft Letters for Them to Edit

Writing letters of recommendation can be difficult for the letter writer. The task becomes especially daunting when years elapsed between the letter and the event described. You need to make preparing a letter of recommendation very easy for the letter writer.

A trend started developing 7-8 years ago. People requesting letters of recommendation either

• Offer to draft the letter themselves or
• Provide the letter writer with home run statements to use in the letter

You should clarify that you recognize they will want to edit the letters and use their own language. You also want to keep the letter in an electronic version rather than on paper.

Outline for a Good Letter of Recommendation

A good letter of recommendation consists of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The body of the letter should contain the results sections of 4-5 home run statements that will impress the committee. For example:

“I recommend <your name> to receive your scholarship. I worked with <your first name> as their <their position>. Allow me to share a little of what I observed in our work together.

• Result 1
• Result 2
• Result 3
• Result 4
• Result 5

This represents some of the reasons <your name> would represent your scholarship committee well. I recommend you award the <scholarship name> to <your name>.”

Saturday we share some cautions about various scholarship scams you want to avoid