LOR

PhD LORs are written for aspirants who wish to pursue a doctorate degree, to elaborate about their aptitude and experiences that make them suitable for the course. Through such an LOR, recommenders discuss the applicant's achievements, accolades and aptitude, as seen by them during their association with the applicant. They can also share specific examples or instances of research, projects or assignments during their association, where they witnessed positive academic traits in the applicant.

Ideally, the PhD LOR length should be within 1-2 pages. It should only have 5-6 paragraphs where the recommender can talk about their relevant academic, professional or research experiences with the applicant. As evident through any recommendation letter PhD sample online, it should be a compact document that justifies an applicant's eligibility, capability and suitability for the PhD program.

 3–4 well-substantiated traits are ideal, as per most expert LOR guidelines. The key to an effective LOR is to include the traits which are relevant to the programme you are applying for. A letter of recommendation, which is full of traits, but without detailed explanation or specific instances justifying those traits, will not create a good impression. As per the guidelines for writing LOR, a letter should focus on mainly three to f our traits, which can be substantiated with examples.

Although an LOR is an assessment of the recommender who has witnessed your work, skills, and growth, it is better to keep the letter positive. The LOR guidelines recommend highlighting only areas of improvement if they are presented constructively. The focus must be on your positive traits, which can assure the Ad Com about your candidature f or the programme. Instead of mentioning weaknesses, the recommender can include the areas which require scope of improvement. He/she can even mention about the ways you are trying to improve on those areas, demonstrating your ability to take constructive criticism.

As per the guidelines for writing LOR, a one-page document comprising 4-5 paragraphs is an ideal length of an LOR. Universities expect an LOR of around 300-400 words. Some universities require LOR in the question-answer format. In that case, you must write the answers as per the prescribed word limit for each question. 

Refer to the university's specific LOR guidelines. Usually, academic recommenders can be your teachers, professors, school counselor, principal, and head of the department, while professional recommenders can be your immediate supervisors, managers or senior leadership. An ideal recommender is the one who has closely observed your work and can provide genuine and honest feedback about you. Your project guides, subject teachers and immediate supervisors can provide impressive recommendations, having witnessed your performance at close quarters.

While you may go through the sample LORs to get an idea about the format and content, it is not advisable to copy any part of the sample. Keep the LORs unique and authentic. Plagiarism should be strictly avoided.