1. Writing Effective Recommendation Letters
Nancy Levinger and Mary Swanson
Colorado State University
Professional Development Institute 2017

2. Common Problems Recommenders Face
You may:
Not know a candidate well
Feel unqualified to recommend a student for a particular program, award, or job
Be uncertain how to address problematic aspects of a candidate’s academic or work history
Lack time to do a good job
Already recommended another candidate
Lack confidence in writing ability

3. Applicant’s Job Do NOT ask applicant/nominee to write their own letter
Ask well in advance
Provide ALL the information a recommender needs to do a good job, including:
Description of scholarship/job/graduate application
Qualifications for the position/scholarship/award
Description of future goals
CV/resume
Do NOT ask applicant/nominee to write their own letter

4. Recommender’s Job Recommender/applicant relationship
How long do you know the applicant?
In what capacity do you know the applicant?
How have you interacted with the applicant?
Provide context for applicant’s achievements
Direct comparison may be appropriate
Support applicant’s vision for future
Applicant’s qualifications
Applicant’s potential
Focus letter toward the scholarship/job/school

5. Activity 1: Knowing when (and how) to say “No”
5 Scenarios
Jordan White
Drew Johnson
Bailey Smith
Peyton Brown
Taylor Baker

6. Now that you have agreed to write…
Structure of the letter
Opening paragraph
Body of the letter
Final paragraph
Consider what you would want to know

7. Opening paragraph Introduction Who does the letter support?
For what are they applying?
What is your relationship to the applicant? In what context do you know the applicant?
For how long have you known the applicant?
Why are you qualified to
Recommend this candidate?
Recommend for this job?
What do you know that others do not?
What special knowledge do you have?
What are you qualified to say?

8. Letter of recommendation Body
Applicant activities and accomplishments
Not just a summary!
Why is this applicant great?
First hand knowledge
Other relevant information, e.g., from other people

9. Letter of recommendation Final paragraph
Restatement of who and what
Places the recommendation in the context of the program
Shows why and how applicant matches the call

10. Words matter! Words convey how and what you know about the candidate
Use words that can data can support
List of words from actual letters of recommendation

11. Activity 2
From the list of positive adjectives used for recommendation letters…
Which adjectives are easiest to support with evidence?
Which adjectives are strongest?
Which adjectives are vague?
In your group, discuss which words provide the most information about the applicant and why
Develop a list of words your group would highlight in a letter

12. Language we use Gender and racial bias
Studies show that we all have bias
Language used to describe white men overshadows that for…
Women
Underrepresented minorities (e.g., African-American, Latino, etc.)
Careful monitoring can mitigate bias in recommendations
Test your bias at
Project Implicit:
Test your letter at:
Schmader, et al., Sex Roles, 2007, 57, 509–514;
Moss-Racusin, et al., PNAS, 2012, 109, 16474–16479.

13. Words matter! Descriptors should fit the recommendation
Words differ depending on application

14. Activity 3
Brainstorm about adjectives you would use to describe an applicant for:
A scholarship recommendation
A job recommendation
Discuss in your group
Report the adjectives your group chose

15. Activity 4 Write an introductory, body or final paragraph about…
One of our student descriptions OR
A person you know for whom you are writing or are likely to write
…a letter of recommendation

16. Thanks for your participation!
Please fill out an evaluation survey
Thanks to TILT for organizing the PDI!