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If you look at our list of Chegg scholarships for college students, most sponsors ask applicants to submit a scholarship letter of recommendation. In fact, why does this document matter? And, how do you come up with a good one?
In fact, a scholarship letter of recommendation helps round out your students’ profiles. Furthermore, it provides insight into what they are like as a student and person from the perspective of someone who has worked closely with them during their high school career.
Besides, the letter speaks to their academic strengths and interests, their personal qualities, their role in their school community, and their potential direction in the future. Whether you talk about it explicitly or not, a positive letter also suggests their ability to get along with their teachers and others in your school.
Below, you’ll find some of the industry’s best tricks on how you should craft a good scholarship letter of recommendation.
How to Write a Good Scholarship Letter of Recommendation
If you need to write a letter of recommendation for a student, follow this guide to understand what to include and how to structure the letter:
1. Ask the Student for Academic Information
First, request a list of your student’s academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, and GPA. Also, inquire about the scholarship program to which they are applying. This information will assist you in customizing the letter to the program they are applying for.
Keep in mind that you aim to be an advocate for your student and to encourage and celebrate their achievements.
Also, you can talk with the student and learn more about why he/she is applying, what he/she wants to accomplish, and what he/she hopes to benefit from the experience. In your scholarship letter of recommendation, you may express your thoughts on this detail.
2. Address Your Letter Accordingly
In fact, correctly addressing the letter ensures that it reaches the intended recipient and also makes the advice seem more tailored to the reader. Hence, you may want to inquire with the student about the person to whom the letter should be sent. Also, make sure to ask about their position in the application process as well.
On the other hand, if your student does not have a particular person to whom you can deliver the message, you may also send your suggestion to the human resources department of a sponsor.
Keep the letter generic if your student is applying for several scholarships. Still, aim to highlight their relevant qualities. You may use this information to highlight the student’s accomplishments in a specific area. Next, provide an example of one of the student’s outstanding projects or awards.
3. Introduce Yourself and Your Qualifications
Your authority as the student’s teacher provides the sponsor with valuable insight into the applicant. As a result, you must state who you are and how you are eligible to speak on behalf of the student at the start of your letter.
Furthermore, you must include your job title, as well as the subject or course you taught the student. Alternatively, you may specify your position as the organizer of a club or extracurricular activity in which the student participated, particularly if you’ve never had them in class before.
4. Include Details about Your Academic Relationship with the Student
Next, continue your introduction by describing how long and in what capacity you’ve known the student. This item may be a direct extension of your job title, indicating your role in the academic career of the student.
Besides, you can talk about your first observations of the student and how you’ve seen him/her develop into the well-rounded student he/she is now. For this purpose, consider expressing your impressions of the student in terms of how they amazed or pleased you in class, on assignments, and in other academic settings.
5. Highlight the Student’s Qualifications with Examples
Many organizations are on the lookout for people who can help them develop and change. As a result, think about who will be reading your letter of recommendation. Then, provide examples and details of how the student will support the business or organization.
Additionally, demonstrate their future success by mentioning their contributions to your school. You can draw your examples from their resume or academic information, including items such as:
- Academic excellence, such as improved or maintained grades
- Clubs
- Competitions, awards, and recognitions
- Individual or group projects
- Leadership roles, such as captain of a team or president of a club
- Presentations and public speaking opportunities
- Sports
- Volunteering
6. Conclude Your Letter
Finally, end your letter by restating your support for the student’s credentials. In addition, you can also offer to stay available if the reader has any further questions about your recommendation or experience with the student.
Also, have a few ways for them to contact you, such as a phone number where you can be reached and your email address. In fact, this final move will demonstrate to the sponsor that you are confident in the student’s abilities. Additionally, it shows that you support him/her for the scholarship program, which will affect their decision to choose him/her.
A Structure of Good Letter of Recommendation
Each scholarship letter of recommendation you write will be personalized to the specific student you’re writing about, but many of these letters follow a similar template. Here’s everything that you should include in your scholarship letter of recommendation:
1. Introduction
As with recommendations for college, you should begin by stating who you’re recommending, how you know him/her and in what contexts, and what makes you qualified to give your assessment.
If you’ve known the student in different contexts, like as both his/her teacher and club advisor or coach, then you should say so. Further, this shows that you know him/her well and have seen how he/she interacts and performs in different roles and environments.
2. Body of the Letter: Why the Student Deserves the Scholarship
Once your introduction incorporates these elements – a strong statement of support and an explanation of who you are and how you know the student – then you can move into your assessment. Hence, you should highlight the student’s primary strengths, again, making sure to tailor your evaluation to the specific scholarship.
If the scholarship is focusing on academic achievement, then a statement of high ranking from an established teacher could go a long way. For starters, stating that the student is one of the top three you’ve taught in twenty years or the best student in his/her class suggests that he/she is an outstanding applicant who will likely continue to excel in college.
Ultimately, you want to make the student stand out as a motivated individual. Therefore, the scholarship donors would want to invest in. For instance, you may emphasize his/her:
- Unique commitment,
- Talent,
- Drive, and
- Passion.
Next, show them how his/her contributions in high school predict his/her continued pursuits in college.
Finally, show them that the student deserves the scholarship and that you have no doubt he/she will put it to good use.
3. Your Contact Information and Signature
At the end of your letter, you can give your contact information and invite the scholarship committee to get in touch with any further questions. Ultimately, if you’ve provided a complete, glowing picture of the student, then they should have all the information they need. On the other hand, you can get inspiration from the following three samples of recommendation letters. This works effectively if you’re running out of fresh ideas.
3 Examples of Scholarship Letter of Recommendation
Lincoln Scholarship Sample Letter
William Shakespeare Poetry Scholarship Sample Letter
Night Owl Scholarship with Phi Delta Phi Sample Letter
