[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-199990-105":53,"doc-detail-199990-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","faculty-letters-of-recommendation-for-graduate-school-guide","Faculty Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School - Guide","","Guide for faculty writing strong letters of recommendation for graduate school, focusing on how recommendation letters function as evidence-based support for applicants. Explains the core elements of a well-documented evaluation, matching letter content to the specific purpose of the application and balancing scholarly capability with personal character. Provides guidance on identifying the writer’s relationship to the student, using concrete examples, avoiding empty superlatives, addressing weaknesses appropriately, and building sufficient information through meetings and requested materials.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/faculty-letters-of-recommendation-for-graduate-school-guide/199990/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/faculty-letters-of-recommendation-for-graduate-school-guide/199990.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Xiajie","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-07","2026-09-04",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What is the primary purpose of a letter of recommendation for graduate school?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"A recommendation letter provides support for a candidate and, after careful review of strengths and weaknesses, supplies well-documented evaluation for a selection committee to make a decision.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How should faculty tailor the letter to the specific application purpose?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The letter should address the specific purpose of the application, such as emphasizing scholarly capabilities for graduate study in the arts and sciences, or broader qualities and experiences for non-academic positions, including project feasibility when relevant.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What guidance helps ensure the letter is credible and effective?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"Faculty should identify their basis of knowledge of the student, describe distinctive strengths with concrete examples, avoid heavy use of stock phrases or superlatives, and maintain integrity by stating only what they can support.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},199990,1788507570,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":125,"read_time":76},8814010472675,"https://avatar.qwps.com/avatar/WGlhamll","Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School  For Faculty  \nCopyright © 2002-2004 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Reproduced with permission.  \nWriting letters of recommendation and its relationship to teaching  \nWriting letters of recommendation is a skill that will be of great importance throughout your teaching career, and perhaps should be viewed as an almost integral part of your teaching experience. Students in your sections or tutorials who have had a positive experience-in terms of what they have learned, or the work they have produced-are likely to come to you for a letter of recommendation. Indeed, an abundance of requests can be taken as an indication that you are a good teacher and have an ability to establish a rapport with your students. In our view, good letter writers deserve considerable recognition for the contribution that they make. (If you have written a large number of letters, you might even consider making a note of that when asked by a potential hiring department about your teaching skills and responsibilities. )  \nThe contents of a letter of recommendation  \nl. In simplest terms, a letter of recommendation is a letter that makes a statement of support fora candidate. If, after doing a careful review of a candidate's strengths and weaknesses, you cannot write a supportive letter, it is important to have a candid discussion with the student.  \n2. Beyond that simple definition, a letter of recommendation should also present a welldocumented evaluation, providing sufficient evidence and information to help a selection committee in making its decision.  \n3. A letter of recommendation should also address the specific purpose for which it is written. For most applications, a letter of recommendation will need to discuss both scholarly capabilities and personal character-although the balance between the two will vary, depending upon the nature of the application. For example, at one end of the scale, a letter for an applicant for graduate study in the arts and sciences should focus primarily on the scholarly, while at the other end, a letter for an applicant for a non-academic position should discuss a broader range of qualities and experiences-including extracurricular or work experience as well. As a further example of matching a letter with its purpose, a letter for an applicant for a fellowship with a specific project should discuss the validity and feasibility of the project, as well as the candidate's qualifications for fulfilling the project. The letter should pay close attention to the language of the fellowship announcement.  \n4. A letter of recommendation can also be used to explain some weakness or ambiguity in astudent's record. If appropriate-and probably after consulting the student-you might wish to mention a family illness, financial hardship, or other factor.  \n5. For the content of a well-documented letter, the following are further suggestions (see also the samples in the final section):  \na. You should promptly identify yourself and the basis of your knowledge of the student: Were you a Teaching Fellow in a tutorial or small seminar for department concentrators? How often did it meet, how many students? how many papers? Do you also know the student through some other capacity? Has your acquaintance been sustained over a number of years? Writing the letter on department letterhead is a further form of identification.  \nb. In evaluating a student's intellectual capabilities, try to describe the student in terms that reflect that student's distinctive or individual strengths. Whatever strengths strike you as particularly salient, be prepared to back up your judgement with concrete examples-papers, exams, class presentations, or performance in a laboratory.  \nAbove all, avoid the misconception that the more superlatives that you use, the stronger the letter. Heavy use of stock phrases or cliches in general is unhelpful. Your letter can only be effective if it contains substan","cbCaib5WCAzWXySp","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaib5WCAzWXySp","pdf",73065,7,"English","# Writing letters of recommendation and their relationship to teaching\n## The contents of a letter of recommendation\n# How to acquire sufficient information to write an effective letter\n## Meeting with the student\n## Obtaining written materials","[{\"question\":\"What is the primary purpose of a letter of recommendation for graduate school?\",\"answer\":\"A recommendation letter provides support for a candidate and, after careful review of strengths and weaknesses, supplies well-documented evaluation for a selection committee to make a decision.\"},{\"question\":\"How should faculty tailor the letter to the specific application purpose?\",\"answer\":\"The letter should address the specific purpose of the application, such as emphasizing scholarly capabilities for graduate study in the arts and sciences, or broader qualities and experiences for non-academic positions, including project feasibility when relevant.\"},{\"question\":\"What guidance helps ensure the letter is credible and effective?\",\"answer\":\"Faculty should identify their basis of knowledge of the student, describe distinctive strengths with concrete examples, avoid heavy use of stock phrases or superlatives, and maintain integrity by stating only what they can support.\"}]","Faculty Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School - Guide | PDF"]