A recommendation letter is an essential document for study abroad applications. It is an important document that complements the resume, personal statement and other application materials. If it is properly prepared, it can play an important role in the application.Guide to writing recommendation letters for studying in the United StatesRecommendation letter for studying in the United States, ,Recommendation letter from the website of the US school selection website, ,Disadvantages of recommendation letters for American students, ,What should you pay attention to when applying for a recommendation letter for studying in the United States?The problem.
A Guide to Writing Letters of Recommendation for Studying in the United States
1. Guide to Writing Letters of Recommendation for Studying in the United States
First, how to choose a recommender?
If the recommendation process is compared to a marketing campaign, the protagonist in the marketing campaign is a salesperson who is responsible, resourceful and very knowledgeable about the product. Therefore, choosing a suitable recommender is the first step in completing the recommendation letter process.
There are many types of recommenders: Chinese and foreigners in terms of nationality; professors, bosses and other related personnel in terms of occupation; people who are familiar with you or not so familiar with you in terms of degree of recognition... No matter how you divide them, you must remember that the recommender must be someone who recognizes you. The recommender must admire you very much and must ensure that he will affirm you with full enthusiasm and a serious attitude. Many people are superstitious about recommenders with great reputations. In fact, fame may often be inversely proportional to the distance between you. He may only spend 10 minutes writing a perfunctory recommendation letter for you, and in the eyes of the school, you are only worth 10 minutes of perfunctory recommendation. Sometimes you are lucky to have a master-level person as your recommender, but he can't even remember your name. The better ones may say that you sit in the front row in class and seem to listen attentively, but most of them will not spend the time to write a careful letter for you. If you are not as outstanding as you think you are in the eyes of the recommender, especially when foreigners are asked to write recommendation letters directly to the schools you are applying for, then the recommendation will really become a black humor.
Generally speaking, college students will ask their teachers to be their recommenders, while applicants who have graduated will ask their direct supervisors or bosses to be their recommenders. I personally suggest that if you are applying for an academic program or degree, you can consider asking three professors to recommend you from an academic perspective; if you are applying for an ordinary master's program, students can use two academic recommendation letters and one internship recommendation letter; applicants who are already working can use one academic recommendation letter and two work recommendation letters. No matter how these three recommenders are combined, please remember one thing: think about which professional course teacher has guided you for the longest time, which professional exam score, and whether it is related to the applied major; think about which direct supervisor or boss recognizes you more, and you usually have more interactions; under this premise, you can focus on choosing those more important recommenders. For example, if the recommender has a certain reputation internationally, and has had academic or other exchanges with the school you are applying for, it will be even better. Especially for academic recommendation letters, if the recommender is a professor with a certain authority in this field internationally and knows you better, then your recommendation letter will bring greater surprises to your application.
If you have many aspects to show the school, you should think deeply when choosing a recommender, and combine it with your overall image positioning. Choose recommenders who can evaluate all aspects of you, including your intelligence, personality, professional achievements, leadership, etc. If you want to highlight your special expertise, choose a recommender in the corresponding field and let him explain your achievements in this field.
Second, how to write the recommendation letter?
Some recommendation letters are actually letters of introduction, and the content is always the same: "I would like to introduce someone to you...", which is very boring. If the content of the recommendation letter is not objective and exciting, no matter what celebrity signatures are below, it will not mean much. Most applicants' recommendation letters basically contain good words, but what kind of good words will the school accept?
First of all, you must be objective and pragmatic, and the credibility of the recommendation letter should be put first. The school reads the recommendation letter to see to what extent what others say is consistent with your statement. I once had a student who, when preparing a recommendation letter, hoped that the big-name recommender would describe every detail in great detail and specificity, and the last part was particularly long. This may seem very specific, but think about it carefully. How can a founder of a charitable organization who is busy all day and has multiple duties, and it is difficult to do this job in itself, understand so clearly what an intern is responsible for? Even the recommendee himself needs to recall these details carefully to remember them. This is obviously too specific, but it cannot be too stereotyped. It is critical to master this degree. Some parts of the recommendation letter can be quantified, which is an important technique for objective description. If your recommender is a professor, and he says that your ability in a certain aspect "can be ranked among the top five in my teaching career", it will be more powerful than "this student has outstanding abilities and great potential"; if your boss praises you as "a very responsible employee I have ever met", it will be more effective than "he is diligent and extremely dedicated".
In addition, the recommendation letter is part of the written materials and should be consistent with your overall positioning. If you focus on describing your research results in your statement, the recommendation letter should use the recommender to prove that you are a research talent. Similarly, some of your characteristics, abilities, achievements, etc. can also be conveyed through the recommendation letter as a side support for your overall image. If you have some unavoidable shortcomings, such as your hard grades are not ideal, you can explain it in the recommendation letter, saying that you have been distracted when participating in social activities or accumulating work experience. Especially when your GPA score is not ideal for a period of time, the recommender's description of you overcoming a difficult period in your life can help you turn defeat into victory, or explain that the grading of your department is very harsh, and your GPA is very valuable, etc. The content of the recommendation letter involves a question of degree. If the content of the recommendation letter is exactly the same as that of other materials, it may not make people feel very comfortable, or at least make people feel that you have too little "material".
In addition to the research ability and potential of the recommendee, the recommendation letter can also introduce other qualities, such as learning ability, communication ability, work ability, hobbies, personality traits, etc. To a certain extent, the school wants to verify the description of the recommendee in the application materials from the perspective of an observer. The recommendation letter is the basis for others to judge you, so the more information in it can help them judge, the more the admissions committee will like it. For example, if your recommender compares you with a student he has contacted with and currently studying at Harvard University and tells you your specific advantages, the strength of such a recommendation letter is self-evident. As for which specific abilities to recommend, it needs to be combined with the situation of your recommender and the project you are applying for, and requires personalized treatment.
Third, build a good relationship with your recommender
Building a good relationship with the recommender is a test of your emotional intelligence and public relations skills. So pay attention to observe in class and discover your potential recommenders. If the teacher is very good, you must show your sincerity and be prepared one semester in advance. You must carefully understand the teacher's academic thoughts, seize the opportunity to make "ideological and academic reports" to the teacher, and make a request for a recommendation letter when the teacher is happy. But great teachers are usually "Tang Monk meat" and are coveted by many people. Don't leave it too late and be proactive.
If the recommender is interested in communicating with you when writing the recommendation letter, you should seize the opportunity to talk about your situation and what aspects you want to highlight. At the same time, you must simplify the recommender's writing work and minimize the degree of bothering others. For example, give the professor a list of schools you have applied to, deadlines and other specific information; whether it is paper or online recommendation, you must explain the process and steps in detail. If you have something to say, try to email the professor or WeChat first, then meet the professor in person, and call less.
Regardless of the result, you should thank the person who wrote the recommendation letter for you and explain the result. If you are successfully admitted, keep in touch with the recommender and regularly inform him of your academic progress. On the one hand, it is a natural way to express gratitude, and on the other hand, he may provide more help in your future development.
2. Tips for applying for a visa to study in the United States
1. Complete materials
The first step of the review is for the materials. After the review method is updated, students can submit all the materials directly online, which is together with the page where everyone submits the application form. After completing the form, submit them together.
All the materials you need to upload will be marked on the page. You must ensure that the materials you prepare are complete and true, and submit them in the order given to ensure that no other problems arise in the middle, so as to facilitate the embassy's review.
2. Qualified identity
Everyone has different purposes for studying abroad, so the types of visas to be applied for are different. Everyone must choose a program that suits their identity, so that they will automatically enter the corresponding process during the review and will not affect their arrangements for going abroad.
For example, students applying for admission to preparatory courses and language schools all apply for a short-term visa for language learning, and the length of stay and the rights that can be enjoyed are limited; while for formal study abroad, an ordinary study visa is applied for, and everyone can apply according to the normal process.
3. Simple Motives
The embassy is also very strict in reviewing the purpose and motivation of international students, and is very sensitive to immigration and work. When you prepare the materials, you must be firm in your purpose of studying abroad and do not reveal your intention to work or prepare to immigrate.
The main review is on the study abroad plan and motivation letter that you submit. If you are not sure whether you will reveal your intention, then when writing, try to avoid mentioning content related to life, so that you can avoid it more effectively.
4. Interview Performance
After the materials are reviewed and approved, there will be an interview process. Unlike the procedures in most countries, the US visa interview plays a very important role. If you do not perform well, you will be directly rejected.
Therefore, before attending an interview, you must make comprehensive preparations, including familiarity with the materials and basic questions, so that you can better deal with emergencies that may arise.
3. Common sense to pay attention to when studying in the United States
1. Keep your distance when talking while studying in the United States
When talking to an American, you should keep a distance between your bodies. A distance of half a meter is appropriate. When you are chatting with an American, if he keeps moving forward, you may be too far away from him; if he keeps moving backward, you may be too close to him, so you should keep a proper distance.
2. Don’t speak loudly when greeting others while studying in the United States
According to experts who study in the United States, when Chinese people meet acquaintances, they greet them loudly to show their enthusiasm, while American public places are relatively quiet, people speak softly, and generally do not shout unless there is an emergency. When meeting acquaintances, they will greet them only when they are close to them.
3. Maintain eye contact when talking to others
When talking to Americans, you should maintain eye contact. A wandering gaze or looking elsewhere will give Americans the impression of being untrustworthy and arrogant. Therefore, it is important to maintain a smile and eye contact when dealing with Americans. If a stranger walks up to you and smiles at you, and you smile back at him, he will say "hello" to you, this is just a courtesy and does not mean that he will stop to talk to you.
4. Don’t joke with them when studying in the United States
Some Chinese students sometimes tell a white lie or a joke, and everyone thinks it is normal. However, in the United States, if you lie to him or joke that he is dishonest, these words will make Americans unhappy, because Americans are a nation that values credibility. Their economic and social status are based on personal credibility, and they cannot tolerate others without credibility.
A Guide to Writing Letters of Recommendation for Studying in the United States
Summary of the Guide to Writing Letters of Recommendation for Studying in the United States
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