mkjyuuky Appendix G Sample Letters of Recommendation

A. For an excellent student whom you know well January 17, 2007 It is a true pleasure or me to write this letter o recommendation or !andra "arcia, who was my student in !ociolo#y 11$, %Introduction to !ociolo#y,& in the winter term o 200'. !andra is, with(out )uestion, one o the our or i*e most outstandin# students I ha*e tau#ht at +i# !tate ,ni*ersity in six semesters o teachin#. !andra is a care ul and creati*e thinker with an eye or details and a de*otion to lo#ic, which ser*es her well -oth in the sciences and outside them. !he has the terri ic a-ility to draw on her own experi(ence and o-ser*ations to de*elop thou#ht ul opinions on a *ariety o issues. !andra already knew she wanted to major in -iolo#y when she took my course, -ut this did not diminish her intellectual curiosity a-out the topics we co*ered in introductory sociolo#y. .er re#ular contri-utions to ull(class discussions pro*ided insi#ht -oth or her peers and or me as an instructor. !andra was also in*alua-le in small(#roup interaction with her peers. /ithout my askin#, she took on the responsi-ility o helpin# her classmates consolidate *ast amounts o in ormation into coher(ent sets o ideas, and she )uickly -ecame a study #roup leader. In addition, !andra was *ery #enerous with her time and ener#ies. I remem-er her meetin# indi*idually with a student rom 0hailand se*eral times -e ore the inal exam to help him master all the material in a orei#n ton#ue. !andra -reaks the %scientist& stereotype with her writin#1 she was the -est writer in the two sections I tau#ht that semester. And what was perhaps e*en more impressi*e was that she took the task o impro*in# her writin# as or more seriously than any other student in the class. 2ne o her essays was later pu-lished in the annual ma#a3ine o the -est under#raduate essays written in sociolo#y. !andra is not only an excellent student, -ut she is also personally deli#ht ul. !he is as com orta-le with hersel as she is en#a#in#, pleasant, and humorous. As I #ot to know !andra o*er the semester, I -ecame only more impressed -y the wide ran#e o her a-ilities4and -y her modesty a-out them. !he is an accomplished musi(cian and scientist, -oth o which she does with a passion rare in under#raduates. I wholeheartedly recommend !andra as a prospecti*e medical school student. In act, I can think o ew students whom I would recommend as hi#hly. !he will add a #reat deal to any incomin# medical school class. I can also en*ision !andra as a hi#hly compe(tent and carin# doctor someday, which I say as a hi#h compliment indeed. 5lease contact me i there is anythin# else I can do on her -ehal . !incerely, 5eter !e*ers, 6.A.

"raduate !tudent Instructor +. For a #ood student whom you do not know well $ January 2007 I am pleased to recommend 7atasha 8incaid or admission to the 0eacher 9ducation 5ro#ram. 7atasha was my student in +iolo#y 210 :;ell +iolo#y<, and she pro*ed to -e a model student. !he is extremely conscientious a-out her work and a-out attendin# class and la-. +ecause o her hard work, she consistently scored in the top ten percent on all the exams and pro-lem sets. .er work demonstrates an attention to detail and an a-ility to inte#rate material to create lar#er rameworks or discussion. 7atasha made intelli#ent and insi#ht ul contri-utions durin# ull(class discussion, -ut it was in la- that her enthusiasm and teachin# a-ilities shone. A ter the irst week, she -ecame the leader o her la- #roup, and I would o ten see her patiently explainin# a procedure or a concept to her la- mates :and o ten those in the nei#h-orin# la- #roup as well=<. !he took the initiati*e to or#ani3e and lead class re*iews -e ore the exams, and other students told me a terwards how help ul these sessions were. I -elie*e that 7atasha>s stron# academic a-ilities and her clear dedi(cation to teachin# make her a *ery stron# candidate or the 0eacher 9ducation 5ro#ram. I there are any )uestions I can answer, please eel ree to contact me. 6rinal 6ukherjee

"raduate !tudent Instructor ;. For an a*era#e student ?0 June 2007

I am pleased to write a letter o recommendation or "eor#e "ump as part o his application to dentistry school. As "eor#e>s instructor or 6ath 2?$ :!et 0heory<, I ound him to -e a conscientious and hardworkin# student. 0he course was not re)uired or "eor#e>s major@ he took it out o intellectual interest, and he approached the material with the same curiosity and determination that he applies in -iolo#y and medicine. "eor#e>s work on the pro-lem sets and exams demonstrated care ul attention to detail. .e was also a-le and willin# to articulate his )uestions a-out the more a-stract notions o set theory, a #enuine asset or many o his classmates and the class dynamic as a whole. "eor#e is an extremely persona-le youn# man who seems e)ually com orta-le with his peers and with aculty. .e has talked with me a-out his #oal o -ecomin# a dentist, and I ha*e enjoyed seein# such enthusiasm in an under#raduate a-out a pro essional career. "eor#e>s commitment to the ield and his hard work in pursuin# his #oals will ser*e him well in dentistry school. 5lease contact me i I can answer any urther )uestions. !incerely,

8elly Atkins, 5h.A. Becturer