Write a KILLER Letter of Recommendation

Applications for colleges and jobs require letters of recommendation, often from teachers, coaches, or mentors. Writing LoRs (not Lord of the Rings) can be daunting. Writing a killer LoR is even more daunting.

What should LoRs do, contain, look like, etc.? Let's think logically...

LoRs are used by the recipients (schools, employers) to judge the character of applicants and get a more complete picture of their life. Starting from here and thinking logically, there are a few things we can learn about LoRs:

• It's not a good idea to just list activities - resumes and applications already ask for relevant work history, activities, and more stuff that can be listed.
• Tell them what they can't learn from a list - anecdotes are a good use of words. We'll talk about this more later!
• Your title doesn't really matter - how well you know the applicant is what really matters. A short, non-personal LoR from a U.S. Senator should not mean more to a recipient than a thorough, glowing LoR from someone who knows the applicant well. If a U.S. Senator's generic letter DOES mean more to a recipient, the applicant should run for the hills...
• Don't talk about things you don't know - If you knew the applicant played hockey but know nothing about their experience, that shouldn't be what you write about. Focus on how you knew the applicant!

Now we kind of know big-picture what letters should be, let's look at structure and content. ​

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