04.03.11
Recommendation Letter
This is a letter of recommendation for admittance into a master’s degree program. The original letter appears first, and the corrected version appears after the first. If you want to see the marked up version in doc or PDF format, you may click on the link below.
BEFORE…
I have a professional relationship with Jennifer Smith even though her position is a volunteer one. She is the president of our preschool board that I have the responsibility to direct.
When Jennifer came onto the board, there were conflicts between the board and the leadership of the church in regards to the preschool. Jennifer had the uncomfortable position of having the responsibility of leading the board through a difficult time. She managed to lead with authority and conviction using policy to guide compromise. Although this put her in an awkward position, she led with conviction and integrity. Many hours were spent talking with the board members and leaders of the church to gather information and understand the differences of opinion between the parties.
Jennifer is talented in her ability to identify a problem and determine an action plan. Her writing skills are clear and proficient. She has a profound sense of what is right and wrong and an ability to prioritize the steps that need to be taken to remedy the problem. In addition, she has the fortitude to take the rough road and stay with it until completion. After the first year under Jennifer’s leadership, conflicts that had negatively affected the preschool had been addressed and resolved.
I have related these events to you in order to illustrate the abilities Jennifer possesses. These abilities will also help her to be a strong student and later a gifted teacher. First and foremost, Jennifer’s tenacity to finish work and complete a difficult course of action will aid her with difficult classes at American University. This tenacity will also benefit her in dealing with difficult situations in classes as a teacher.
Jennifer’s analytical skills and her ability to figure out and prioritize problems will help her to develop a course of action to solve problems she will have in the future.. She will need to have this problem solving ability while studying at American University as she juggles a MA program and her family obligations.
Jennifer has an excellent understanding of math principles—I see this in how she deals with budget issues in the preschool. I am sure she will excel in the mathematics course work.
In summary, I am convinced that Jennifer will be an asset to your program at American University and I recommend her highly for admission to your program.
AFTER…
I am writing regarding Jennifer Smith’s application for admittance into your math education program. My relationship with Jennifer is professional even though she is a volunteer at the preschool that I direct. Jennifer has been the president of our preschool board for three years. With confidence, I can say that Jennifer will be an asset to your program. Jennifer is talented in her ability to identify a problem and determine an action plan. She has a profound sense of what is right and wrong and an ability to prioritize the steps that need to be taken to remedy the problem. In addition, she has the fortitude to take the rough road and stay with it until completion.
When Jennifer came onto the preschool board, there were conflicts between the board and the leadership of the church in regards to the preschool. Jennifer had the uncomfortable position of leading the board through a difficult time. She led with authority and conviction using policy to guide compromise. Although this put her in an awkward position, she led with integrity. She spent many hours speaking with the board members and leaders of the church to gather information and understand the differences of opinion between the parties. After the first year under Jennifer’s leadership, conflicts that had negatively affected the preschool had been addressed and resolved.
I have related these events to you to illustrate the abilities Jennifer possesses. These abilities will also help her to be a strong student and, later, a gifted teacher. First and foremost, Jennifer’s tenacity to finish work and complete a difficult course of action will aid her with difficult classes at American University. This tenacity will also benefit her in dealing with difficult situations in classes as a teacher. Jennifer’s analytical skills and her ability to figure out and prioritize problems will help her to develop a course of action to solve problems she will have in the future.
In addition to integrity, problem solving skills, and determination, Jennifer has an excellent understanding of math principles. I see this in how she deals with budget issues in the preschool. I am sure she will excel in the mathematics course work. She is also a clear and proficient writer; she drafted several preschool documents and presented them to the board for review, modification, and adoption.
In summary, I am convinced that Jennifer will be an asset to your program at American University, and I recommend her highly for admission.
