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Sample college recommendation (undergraduate)
To Whom It May Concern:
I am very pleased to recommend Martha Holden for admission to your university program. As her guidance counselor for three years I have watched this young woman develop both academically and personally into a mature individual ready in every way for her college years.
Martha is bright, energetic, compassionate and genuinely well rounded. Her grades have been consistently above average in all of her courses, and she has actively participated in a diverse assortment of extracurricular activities ranging from track and field and chorus to the school yearbook and our drama club.
Martha has also spent considerable time outside the school involved in the community. This has included work with Meals on Wheels and volunteering 10 hours a week at one of our area's shelters for battered and abused women.
They think so much of her at the shelter they have offered her a paid internship for next summer. Previously, this internship had never been awarded to anyone before the end of their college sophomore year. Despite all the preparations that will be required for going off to college next fall, Martha told me she is absolutely thrilled about this opportunity and feels it will enhance her university studies.
Unlike many students who are not sure which field to pursue, Martha has made clear to us all that her goal is to do Social Work. To this end she has worked tirelessly in our pilot program for mentoring Special Education students mainstreamed into our school.
In closing, let me take a moment to recount an incident which I believe speaks volumes about the superior nature of this candidate. Two years ago I was returning from lunch to my office when I saw ahead of me in the hallway 90 pound Martha, arms stretched out between two 180+ pound students, one a Special Ed student and the other a school bully. Other students were standing by motionless or laughing while Martha showed the leadership and courage to immediately put an end to the embarrassing fight that had erupted.
It is clear to me as I hope it is to you that this young woman, Martha Holden, is an exceptional candidate, one that would contribute greatly to any program. I wholeheartedly recommend her and wish her the very best in all future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Jean Atkins
Senior Counselor
Alexander Hamilton High School
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Sample college recommendation (graduate)
To Whom It May Concern:
As Principal of George Mason High School I am delighted to recommend to you a stellar member of our teaching staff, Mr. Samuel Cohen, and to write this letter on his behalf. Sam has taught American History at the school for three years. He is one of our most popular and effective instructors and has already won several teaching awards.
He came to us directly upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, but immediately settled in as if an old pro. Sam is a master of all of the ingredients of successful teaching, especially the ability to inspire.
This gentleman is highly professional in both dress and demeanor. To my knowledge Sam has never come to work without both a suit and tie, more times than not a bow tie. The majority of others at the school, both teachers and students, dress differently and lean to more informality. Never once, however, has Sam’s manner of dress elicited the slightest comment. Why? It is simply because Sam’s attire seems entirely natural given his dignified comportment.
That comportment in turn is driven by Sam’s love and respect for American History. Sam views himself as the messenger for something serious and important, and this is reflected in the way he teaches and in the way his students respond.
Reaction to Sam’s classes has been overwhelmingly positive. So much so that more than once it has been reported to me that study hall students have been spotted lingering outside the door to Sam’s classroom listening to his lessons.
Sam’s impact has even been felt outside the school with the parents themselves. His section on the importance of voting has inspired students to cajole their parents to register to vote. Several have mentioned this to me at parent-teacher meetings. One even called the school to have me pass on their thanks to Mr. Cohen.
The only thing that we in the school administration have ever worried about in regard to Sam is the prospect of funding his bottled water. Sam is such a passionate and prolific speaker that he needs a steady supply to maintain his voice. So far we have gotten a pass on this, as students have bought it for him, including what must have been a year’s supply on his last birthday.
It will be a sad day when we announce that Sam will be pursuing his graduate degree on a fulltime basis. We can only hope that he keeps his promise and returns to us as soon as the ink is dry on his new diploma.
Sincerely,
Harold W. Brown
Principal
George Mason High School
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Sample fellowship recommendation
To Whom It May Concern:
It gives me great satisfaction to recommend John H. Smythe for the Salem-McKenzie Fellowship in Specialized Journalism. I was John’s professor in three undergraduate Communications courses and worked closely with him at both our college radio station and campus video center.
Like a number of my former students, John has kept in touch. Through his letters I stayed abreast of his television news career in Sacramento and witnessed his development as a professional journalist.
It came as a wonderful surprise last year when John announced his intention to return to school for his master’s degree. Knowing John I am sure he has exhibited the same enthusiasm for his graduate studies as he did with us.
John is highly charismatic and has a terrific on air presence. More importantly, he thinks critically, reasons well and has all the instincts of a good reporter.
His grace under pressure became abundantly apparent to me during John’s junior year. John hosted our weekly TV interview show, “Live on the Mall”, which is fed via closed circuit across the university. As John was discussing campus politics with the president of the student government, a fire broke out in one of the dormitories. John immediately headed toward the blaze and began covering the story. Back at the video center the technician called all the local television stations, three of which wanted John’s feed and went live with it for more than half an hour. The fire was quite unsettling and involved considerable damage as well as loss of life. John’s calm professionalism shown through so much that his feed was also picked up briefly by two national cable news channels.
John also has a good feel for balanced and objective reporting. Case in point, while John was with us a supremacist group sprang up on campus. Although not sanctioned by the university, the group was allowed to conduct a rally. This drew protests from the vast majority of the student body. Nevertheless, John felt it important for freedom of speech to interview the group’s leaders on his show.
The interview, conducted on the mall, drew a large demonstration with animus directed not only at the group’s leaders but also at John. A number of John’s friends held this against him, but he unequivocally believed what he did was right. I would go so far as to say it was not only right but a reflection of mature journalistic judgment.
It was a real honor to witness John’s development here at the university and it has been a joy to watch his growth since then. I cannot imagine a better recipient of this fellowship. I enthusiastically recommend him to you.
Sincerely,
David P. Kroger
Professor of Communications
Davis University
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Sample chef recommendation
To Whom It May Concern:
It is with pride that I recommend Gina Marie Sullivan for a responsible position in your pastry department. I am chef-proprietor of River’s Edge Inn, a restaurant in Hudson Valley, New York.
Gina Marie has been with my establishment for more than four years. She began while still in high school working an entry level position in my kitchen. Upon graduating she came on board fulltime doing food prep and working the hot line. Occasionally she would help me with our breads and the signature desserts for which River’s Edge is well known.
Over time Gina Marie became more and more interested in the pastry end of the business, learning from me but also from experimentation and independent study. She has a definite flair for pastries, and has surpassed my abilities in many respects.
It is only right that she be allowed to develop her talent to the extent of its limits. I understand and support her desire to seek employment in a large Manhattan kitchen.
Let me say that I have no doubt she can adeptly meet the challenges. She has shown me repeatedly that she is profoundly dedicated and responsible. She has done double shifts, worked on most holidays, and filled in a number of times for wait staff.
Gina Marie is also the personification of calmness in tough situations. Two months ago she spent all day creating five fabulous Gâteaux de Madame (Génoise cake filled with Chantilly cream and covered with shaved chocolate). This was for a party of thirty-five. As the cakes were leaving the kitchen, all on one cart for presentation effect, one of the two attendant waiters tripped and knocked over the cart. Her creations crashed on the floor. Not concerned about recrimination, and in no sense panicked, Gina Marie proceeded immediately to review ingredients on hand in the kitchen. She managed in short order to produce thirty-five parfait glasses of Romanoff complete with ripe strawberries, Grand Marnier and a garnish of fresh whipped cream.
Even though it would continue to benefit my restaurant and its customers, I would feel guilty and be doing her a disservice to persuade her to stay. And so I refer to you a genuinely talented young lady whom I feel is already evolving into a first-rate pastry chef.
Sincerely,
Chef Bernard Salinger
Owner, River’s Edge Inn
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Sample engineer recommendation
To Whom It May Concern:
It is a distinct pleasure to recommend to you my esteemed business associate and long time friend William J. Marshall. In my capacity as Vice President of Marketing at Lacotex Corporation I have worked closely with William for more than a decade.
As Director of Engineering William has managed the design of more than two hundred Lacotex products. His work has been a major factor in our company's continued success in the machined components industry. He has proven consistently that customer need and company profit are not mutually exclusive.
Like most manufacturing businesses, our company is organized into functions. Engineering interacts with virtually all of them. There are natural tensions between the functions which if not managed correctly can prove disastrous. William has always understood the old axiom that we rise or fall together and has made teamwork with others job number one for his department.
I can remember the nature of our weekly management meetings ten years ago before William arrived. We would spend most of the allotted two hours pointing fingers at each other any time problems needed to be solved. When William came on board the meetings changed dramatically. He showed us all how to get beyond the blame game.
William has a zest for life and has a variety of interests. He can relate to people in many ways and on many levels, and would have made a great sales executive. In fact, William’s people skills have saved the day for on more than one occasion.
A particularly difficult account springs to mind. It was a company run by a hard-boiled individual that neither I nor any of our sales people could ever seem to get close to and consequently could never sell much to. We asked William to join us on a call to this difficult customer. In the course of the sales meeting William noticed a picture of the man beaming with pride as he stood next to a young woman in a basketball uniform. William asked about the picture and then struck up a long conversation about the subtleties of women’s basketball and what turned out to be the man’s daughter. To make a long story short we left hours later with new business in an account that has grown to be our fourth largest.
I could continue on with more glowing accounts of William, but will instead simply say that I really do think the world of him and respect him greatly. It saddens us all the William must leave us so he can relocate to help with his aging in-laws.
I would without any reservation recommend William to you. He would be a tremendous asset in any company.
Sincerely,
Frank Pierce
Vice President, Marketing
Lacotex Corporation
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Sample librarian recommendation
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter provides me the opportunity to recommend my Assistant Director, Jennifer Alistair, for the position of Library Director at the Main Library in the Farris County, Colorado Public Library System.
Jennifer came to us upon finishing her Master of Library Science degree and first worked as a Reference Librarian. After three years she was promoted to Assistant Director, a position she has performed well in.
With her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Jennifer has been invaluable as we have transitioned to a digital environment.
She chaired the countywide committee that reengineered our Information Management and Delivery System two years ago. She also worked on the follow-up committee to oversee the implementation of changes. Through her efforts and those of others on the committees, countywide we are slated to save more than $2 million dollars annually while simultaneously providing much improved, state-of-the-art services to patrons.
Jennifer is well prepared for the social interplay that goes hand and hand with the director’s job. She displayed an infectious zeal during her tenure as Reference Librarian and was very popular with the public. She has aptly administered the twenty-five individuals in her areas. Through her committee work she has also shown considerable ability for managing disparate forces both inside and outside the library.
Jennifer is rightly seeking additional challenge and since there are currently no opportunities in our system it is only natural for her to look elsewhere. For this I commend her.
Bright, dedicated and skilled, Jennifer garners my unequivocal recommendation. She is ready and fully prepared to assume the duties of Director at your library.
Sincerely,
Amanda Wrigley
Director, Central Library
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Character Reference Letter
October 26, 2006
To Whom It May Concern:
Re: Character Reference - Jeremy Swanson
The purpose of this is to provide a character reference for Mr. Jeremy Swanson whom I have known as a classmate, roommate, and friend for a period of five years.
I first met Jeremy in our freshman year at Adirondack College. We were both studying a general arts program there and became acquainted through a number of common classes that we shared. By second year, we had become friends and decided to take an off-campus apartment together. We shared that living arrangement until we both graduated last year.
Accordingly, having gotten to know Jeremy so well over the past few years, I believe puts me in a position to provide you with a pretty accurate assessment of his character.
As a student, Jeremy was a hard-working and highly committed to his education. I believe that his excellent transcripts will attest to that fact. In addition, he was quite involved in a number of extra-curricular activities including the track and field team and the school newspaper. In fact, in his last two years he was Assistant Editor of the "Campus Inquirer." Outgoing, and always willing to help someone out, Jeremy was very popular with his fellow students.
As a roommate, Jeremy was a great choice. He was very neat and tidy at all times and he liked things in the apartment to be kept orderly. He made a point of cleaning his own room and the common living areas on a regular basis. He socialized occasionally at home but was always respectful of my needs, and he and his guests kept the noise down and ended their activities at a reasonable hour.
As a friend, Jeremy Swanson is a standout. He is a loyal, honest, considerate, and supportive individual who has the ability to see and understand things from another person's perspective. He is a great direct communicator and knows how to raise and discuss common living issues and problems in a non-threatening manner. He is hyper-sensitive and is always tuned into how another person might "feel" in a given situation. He likes to have fun too. During our years at school we maintained an ongoing friendly rivalry on the squash courts.
To tell the truth, I really can't think of anything of consequence on the negative side of the personality ledger when it comes to Jeremy. All in all, I would have to say that Jeremy Swanson is a fine, well-balanced person with an abundance of positive qualities.
Sincerely,
Charles Farmington
Source: writinghelp
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Sample Recommendation Letter
(college admission - undergraduate)
May 20, 2003
Ms. Jillian Shepperd
Director of Admissions
Admissions and Recruitment Office
MacDonald University
1449 Dorchester Ave. W., Rm 451
Montreal, QC, H3A 1T4
Dear Ms. Shepperd:
I am very pleased to write this recommendation on behalf of Layla Bell.
Layla has been a student in the accelerated liberal arts program at Holymount High for her entire four years of high school. During that period I have observed her grow into a poised and accomplished young woman. She is an exceptional student with excellent grades resulting from diligent work habits.
Layla has superior interpersonal skills and works equally well independently or in a group setting. She also displays good leadership skills when involved in group projects. She is very well liked and respected by both her peers and her teachers.
Among her many service activities at the school, Layla was a coach of the junior track team for the past two years and she was a member of the senior cross-country team. She also took part in the Mentoring Program and helped a number of juniors navigate their way through their first year of high school. In addition, Layla was involved in organizing a number of fund-raising projects at the school, including a team marathon event that raised over $5,000 for cancer research.
Layla has shown an ongoing interest in world affairs and international development. It is my understanding that she intends to pursue an Honors degree in Political Science or Sociology. She has traveled extensively and has written outstanding reports with observations on conditions she has witnessed throughout the world.
I believe that Layla Bell has tremendous potential as a student and I feel quite confident that she would be an asset to both student life and academics at MacDonald University.
Yours truly,
Allan S. Fenton
Vice-Principal
Source: writinghelptools
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Sample Recommendation Letter
(employment, targeted)
October 25, 2003
Ms. Miranda Swanson
Executive Editor, Corporate Accounts
Randolf Communications Inc.
1535 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10014
(212) 543-9263
Dear Ms. Swanson:
Gregory Hines requested that I write this letter to you with reference to his recent application to your company as a Senior Corporate Illustrator.
Gregory worked under my supervision as an Editorial Illustrator from May 1997, until December 2001. His responsibilities included conducting research, developing concepts, preparing concept boards, and rendering final graphic illustrations for publication. In addition, he performed some administrative and clerical duties related to the maintenance of the company illustration database.
During the over three years that he reported to me, Gregory proved himself to be a highly skilled and exceptionally talented graphic illustrator. He consistently produced superior quality work, on time, and within budget targets.
I was particularly impressed by Greg's ability to complete all of his work on time, even when he was multi-tasking on two or more major projects in parallel. Frequently, he even completed his assignments ahead of time. His research was invariably thorough and comprehensive, and his editorial concepts were consistently creative and always appropriate and timely.
Gregory developed his own personal "signature" style of illustration that quickly became the preferred choice of a number of our most valued customers. Because of that, he was assigned as lead illustrator on a number of major projects where normally, he would have been a secondary resource. This gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his excellent team leadership and project management skills.
Overall, Gregory is a conscientious, dedicated, and exemplary employee. I certainly think he has a bright future ahead of him in the editorial illustration field. Accordingly, I am pleased to recommend him for any intermediate to senior level position as an editorial graphic illustrator.
Sincerely,
Jonathon A. Parsons
Editorial Director
Source: writinghelptools
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General Sample Reference Letter
Date
To whom it may concern
John Smith was employed by ABC Company as a Junior Accountant from January 2006 to December 2008. He reported directly to me during this period.
John was responsible for the preparation of monthly financial statements and monthly financial reports. He assisted with tax computations and returns and with budgets and forecasts. In addition he helped administer the payroll and coordinated the audit process.
John performed all these tasks competently and with commitment and enthusiasm. He has demonstrated the ability to work under pressure and to plan and organize successfully to meet tight deadlines. His close attention to detail has resulted in meticulous and accurate work. His strong interpersonal and communication skills have allowed him to develop good working relationships with both his colleagues and management.
John was a great asset to this company and I highly recommend him for employment. Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Mike Manager
Title
Company Name
Contact number
Email address
Source: best-job-interview
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Sample Character Reference Letter
This is a sample reference letter for a person who you know well but who you have not worked with.
It is a personal reference and provides information about the person's character and what you know about the person that would be applicable to a work environment.
It is often used for job seekers who have little or no formal work experience or employment history.
Date
To whom it may concern
I have known Jane Smith for over 6 years. She has been my neighbor during this time. In addition she has worked as a baby sitter for my children and helped out with homework and transport.
Jane is organized, dependable and reliable and has always fulfilled her duties competently and with enthusiasm. She possesses excellent communication skills and is able to express herself with confidence and maturity. She has proved to be both willing and flexible and she is always prepared to help out when needed.
I highly recommend Jane for employment and I am confident that she will prove a valuable asset to any organization. Should you want any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely
Janet Jones
contact number
email address
Source: best-job-interview
