Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for Masters: Sample & Tips

Stand out from the crowd with a powerful LOR for your Master's application! This guide unlocks the secrets to crafting an LOR that convinces admissions committees you're the perfect candidate. Check out everything about LOR for a MS program.

When you applying for Masters degree in foreign universities, your marks is not only thing they check. One very important document is Letter of Recommendation or LOR. Many students don't know importance of this letter. A good LOR for Masters can change your admission result. It is a letter written by your professor or boss who knows your skills and behavior.

The admission committee wants to know about your character and academic potential from someone else view. If your LOR is strong, even with average marks you can get seat in top universities abroad. But if it is weak, your admission application might get rejected. In this article, we will discuss how to write best LOR for higher studies, whom to ask for it, and what important points to include. Don't copy from internet, because original LOR is very necessary for your selection in countries like USA, UK or Germany.

What is a Letter of Recommendation for a Master’s?

A LOR is a letter of recommendation written by someone who knows you. This person talks about your skills, potential, character and abilities. Usually the LOR is written by academic advisors, employers or instructors. Universities ask for a good LOR because it helps the admissions committee to see your intelligence, creativity, leadership and other important qualities.

Why is a LOR Important for MS Applications?

Applying to a Master's course abroad would need compiling a set of all-important documents such as your SOP, Resume, and LORs. Of these, the LOR carries special weight since it does:

• Validates your academic performance or professional contributions.
• Soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, or problem-solving.
• It provides context on how you stand out compared to your peers.

Standard Format of a LOR for MS

Note: Each LOR draft (considering there are 2-3 LORs for one applicant) should be highlighting different qualities so that they do not look as written by one person and the examples should be specific to that recommender only. One should aim to write a LOR for Masters within 400-500 words. Use of official letterhead will be recommended and if possible maintain a formal tone throughout.

Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Sample for Masters

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

As the Head of the Aeronautical Department at XYZ College, New Delhi, I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for Ms ABC, an undergraduate student of this department. I have known ABC for two years now, and hence I can confidently discuss her skills and qualities. She is a highly motivated and sincere student, who has actively capitalised on every opportunity our college had to offer.

ABC has consistently been amongst the top scorers of her batch, throughout the course of her degree, and was thus one of the few people to be offered the chance to pursue an Honours degree. This requires the completion of extra credits and a publication to receive the degree. She is currently working towards that in parallel with her normal courses. She was also chosen by the student council to teach first-year students, who needed tutoring when she was in her second year.

Additionally, ABC has also successfully represented our college in numerous Aircraft Design competitions, both nationally and internationally. Most recently, her team designed a UAV for ‘Crop Health Analysis’, and won the National Aviator Challenge, conducted by QPR University. Her design reports frequently have something different and innovative in them and solve a real-life problem. Besides this, she has also sparked the interest of many students in the field of Aerospace, by taking the initiative to organize technical workshops, competitions and talks. Her event, based on ‘Air Crash Investigations’, organised as a part of our annual technical fest, in 2019, proved to be a great success.

Furthermore, ABC was an approachable and effective president of our Aerospace Club from April 2023 to March 2024. In her term, the work of this club went on seamlessly. She not only mentored her juniors in a technical capacity but her complete dedication was undoubtedly laudable.

Overall, ABC exhibits a strong feeling of camaraderie and teamwork, coupled with an unwavering enthusiasm for the aerospace industry. She has consistently shown herself to be a productive student in our department and has shown excellent leadership abilities. She will undoubtedly excel in the course and prove to be a valuable addition to any college she attends. Thus, I strongly recommend Ms. ABC to your esteemed institution and wish her the best in the same.

Yours sincerely,

Full name of the Recommender

Designation, Department

Name of Institution, City

Contact No:

Email ID:

LOR Guidelines by Course

Each LOR should highlight different qualities based on the program you are applying to. 

LOR for Master’s in Computer Science (MS in CS)

Hopefully, the above LOR sample must have helped you with an idea about writing a Letter of Recommendation for higher studies. Similarly, for an LOR for MS in CS, you will follow the same format. However, here it is advisable to highlight technical skills like:

• What programming languages is he/she an expert in
• Coding skills and where did he/she showcase them
• Any specific project where he/she used his/her technical expertise
• Knowledge of different applications
• Any application developed/created, and more pertinent skills

LOR for Master’s in Mechanical Engineering

Similar to the attributes highlighted above in a LOR sample for Masters in Mechanical Engineering, for a Mechanical Engineering student, qualities like the following can be highlighted, with suitable instances:

• Knowledge of the market
• Knowledge of various tools to be highlighted
• Teamwork skills
• Leadership skills
• Technical skills
• Problem-solving skills, and others

LOR for Master’s in Civil Engineering

For a student aiming for MS in Civil Engineering, the LOR format for Masters should highlight qualities like:

• Curiosity or critical thinking
• Creativity and flair for innovation
• Collaborative spirit
• Having an eye-for-detail
• Problem-solving skills

LOR for Electrical Engineering

• Knowledge of circuit-design
• Knowledge of other software or tools
• Critical thinking and analyzing
• Innovation
• Organizational skills
• Complex problem-solving skills

LOR for Electronics & Communication (ECE)

• Interest and knowledge of technology
• Latest trends incorporated in prior work
• IT skills
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Efficiency

LOR Sample for Financial Analyst Applicants

• Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Forecasting
• Financial Modelling
• Technical Analysis

Also Read: How to make an impressive Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

LOR Samples PDF

The LOR samples PDFs for masters can be downloaded by students for the refrence purposes. The below mentioned PDFs have LOR format for masters for both acedimic and professional use. 

Who should write letters of recommendation for masters?

Choosing the right person to write your Letter of Recommendation is very tricky but important step. Many students do mistake here and ask friends or family, which is totally wrong. For Masters admission, the university wants to see your academic capability. So, the best person to ask is your College Professor or faculty member who taught you important subjects. They can tell about your class participation and grades properly.

If you have done any final year project, your Project Guide is also a very good choice for writing LOR. He know your practical skills and research interest. If you are a working professional, you must take Professional LOR from your reporting manager or boss. He can explain your work ethics and leadership quality. But remember, always ask someone who knows you from long time and can write positive things about you. Don't ask professor who gave you less marks, it will affect your application profile badly. Read How to Choose the Right Recommender to know more about it.

Ideal Recommenders for Different Student Profiles

Tip: Try to balance technical and soft skills across recommenders so that the admissions team gets a holistic view.

How to Ask for a Strong Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

Many students forget that how you ask for a LOR is just as important as the letter itself. A strong LOR doesn’t only depend on the person writing it but also on how well you prepare and how you request it.

When to Ask

You should ask for a LOR at least 4 to 6 weeks before the deadline. This gives your recommender enough time to write a good and detailed letter. If you ask too late, they may not give it full attention or may say no.

Whom to Ask

Choose someone who knows you well, not someone famous or high position who barely talked to you. Pick a professor, mentor, or manager who can give real examples of your academic skills, projects, or work experience.

Difference between a letter of recommendation and a reference letter

A letter of recommendation for a Master’s program is specific to academic requirements. Generally, it is required by the universities along with your application form when you make your final submission to the university. In a letter of recommendation, your qualities, achievements, and overall personality are discussed. The recommender must provide their letter of recommendation (LOR) directly to the university, or occasionally, the university will give a link to the recommender's email. It is more personal and covers the applicant's personality as a whole. On the other hand, a Reference Letter is usually used for professional purposes when you join a new company. You can use one reference from one recommender and keep it to yourself. It is more official, hence, only professional accomplishments and performance are discussed.

Tips for Indian Students Writing Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

The Admission Committee receives thousands of applications every year. They read so many LORs that they can easily catch if something is wrong. Here are important tips for Indian students preparing their LOR for Masters.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Never copy from internet - The committee can easily find out if your LOR is plagiarized or copied from somewhere. They have seen thousands of letters, so they know.
• Each LOR should be different - Even if you are writing the LORs yourself (which many Indian students do), make sure each one is unique. Your professor will have different experiences with you than your employer. Don't use same examples in all letters.
• Different writing style - Each recommender writes differently. Your math professor won't write like your project manager. Keep the format same but change the writing style and tone.
• Use real examples - Don't make up fake stories. Use genuine instances from your real life. If you say you led a team, give actual details about that project.

Check These Things Before Submit LOR

Before sending your Letter of Recommendation, make sure:

• The LOR has real stories about you? Not just "she is smart" but actual examples from class or work?
• Does it fit the program? Like if your applying for MS in Data Science, it should talk about your math skills, coding, analysis work etc.
• It shows how you grew? Maybe you was average student but then became topper?
• The language is formal but still natural sounding?
• Your LOR and SOP telling same story? They shouldn't contradict each other.

Important for Indian Students: We know many students write their own LORs and get signature from teacher. If you doing this, be very careful - each recommender writes different. Your chemistry teacher wont write like your internship manager writes. The admission committee reads thousands of applications, they can easily catch if all your LORs sound same or if its copied from internet!