Convincing reference letters for US universities

​Most applications for a Bachelor degree at US universities and for US scholarships request 2-3 reference letters. Usually, at least two are from teaching staff - teachers or college counsellors have taught you in the last 1-2 years - who know you in a learning environment. The third may be another teacher or someone who knows you from extracurricular activities or internships. The guiding principle should be who knows you best, is most likely to write a convincing and enthusiastic reference in English, and which combination of referees can cover different parts of your profile - e.g. using different subject teachers to stress your abilities in different academic areas, or choosing a supervisor in extracurricular activities (e.g. debating) who can stress your abilities and interpersonal qualities in that context.

Referees should present you enthusiastically and positively, stressing not only your academic and scholarly abilities and achievements, but also your personal traits, extracurricular and social involvement and explain any special circumstances you have dealt with - to show how you have excelled in spite of them, to explain why perhaps they may have affected your grades, or simply to illustrate interesting sides of your personality and special experiences. The aim is to demonstrate that you would be succeed academically, be interesting to teach and could contribute positively to campus life.

We recommend giving referees some information to help them better understand your motivation as well as what is expected of the reference letter, especially if your teachers are less experienced with writing reference letters for US Bachelor degrees. Specifically, we recommend:

• first having a conversation with the teachers about why you wish to study in the US, where your particular interests lie, and any information you may wish them to include (e.g. explanations of why you may not have done well in certain areas due to attenuating circumstances)
• also give your teachers any written work, such as the personal essay, that you have already prepared. This gives teachers the opportunity to see what you have already written about and how best they can complement it with their reference letter. Again, it also gives them an opportunity to understand your motivation and interests better
• your teachers may have questions about reference letter writing for the US. If so, you can send them both the information on the websites of the universities you are applying to and links to information from blogs like this one. Furthermore, if you wish our admissions tutors can contact your teachers directly to answer all their questions by phone or email and give additional guidelines, e.g. stressing which part of your particular profile might be good to focus on more or what might fit well with the specific profiles of your target universities
• finally, brief teachers on how they can submit their reference letter, e.g. whether your universities request online or print reference letters; and whether they send it directly to the university or you include it in your application package.

Do all this well in advance of the application deadline to give teachers some time to think about and compose the reference letters. Also, many teachers are willing to let you or a third party (admissions tutor or college counsellor) review the reference letter before sending. That gives you a chance to request additions or small alterations if you think something can make your profile stand out more or look even better suited to your target universities.

In terms of content, the reference letters should:

• highlight your academic abilities and achievements. Try always to back up statements of ability or achievement with examples to make them more concrete and convincing. Relative statements (e.g. "one of the top 3 students in her/his year group") are also helpful to give an idea of where the applicant stands in comparison to other pupils
• talk also about interests of the applicant, e.g. what did he/she enjoy particularly during the course work? This is best explored in conversation with the applicant and helps give a better picture of who the applicant is to the admissions committee, as well as emphasising that he/she is a curious and motivated student
• further skills, capabilities or social awareness demonstrated in class or extracurriculars, e.g. leadership, social skills, diversity or excellence in extracurricular commitments including sports, arts, music and social commitments

The aim of the reference letter is to give a well-rounded view of the applicant's personality and abilities. It should also be mindful of the specific requirements of the universities the applicant has chosen and seek to address the main points listed there. It is especially important for referees from non-US backgrounds to realise that modesty or restraint in writing the reference letter will be interpreted as a potentially critical or unconvinced stance of the referee regarding the applicant's abilities. Hence, enthusiastic, positive and concrete language should be chosen to avoid disadvantaging the applicant compared to candidates from US schools.

For more concrete tips on how to write the reference to fit your chosen universities and your profile, for help contacting referees to set expectations and to review references, please contact our tutors.

Admissions support for U.S. ApPLications