Writing a scholarship recommendation letter for your student is a part of most scholarship applications. As a teacher or counselor, you must have experienced this situation several times when one of your students would have asked you to write him a recommendation letter.
You need to learn and understand how to write scholarship recommendation letter as it is based on the candidate’s character, qualities, and achievements to fulfill the essential criteria of the scholarship application. You need to acquaint yourself with the scholarship mandates to ensure that the letter follows all the requirements.
A teacher or counselor can only write it when he knows the student and is aware of his academic standing. It would be best if you interviewed the student to learn more about his extracurricular activities and any certification or awards that he may get relevant to the chosen scholarship.
If you have been in a confusing situation where someone asked to write a recommendation letter, this article will guide you on how to write scholarship recommendation letter.
Purpose of Writing Recommendation Letters in Scholarship Applications
There are several scholarships for high school students and students entering college with their particular guidelines.
A Scholarship recommendation letter can accomplish several things within a student’s scholarship application.
Let’s consider the importance of a scholarship recommendation letter for scholarship application.
- A recommendation letter for scholarships from teachers, counselors, and other influential people in a student’s life can serve as solid testaments to a student’s past and future attainments.
- A scholarship recommendation letter can be a powerful endorsement of a student, applauding his academic and personal qualities and affirming confidence in his future success. They also show that he has people in his life impel to converse on his behalf.
- A recommendation letter proves that the student is qualified to receive the scholarship, as most scholarships are granted to students with particular commitments or goals.
- Recommendations letter attest that a student is eligible for and deserves the scholarship based on merit and need.
- A scholarship recommendation letter can complement the story a student lets out in his application about who he is and why he deserves it.
Tips for Recommendation letter Writing
Since scholarship recommendation letters hold up the weight of a teacher or counselor, here are things you should know before how to write scholarship recommendation letter.
- Ask yourself if you can write noteworthy letter of recommendation for the student. It is essential to know your student well before recommending him. If you have little to share on his behalf, your letter could come off as uninformed, ruining his chances.
- Ensure to find out exactly what the scholarship is for before writing. Is the scholarship looking to award students who have overcome crucial challenges or High academic achievers that contribute to their communities?
- Validate your student’s qualifications to receive it by being conscious of the guidelines and expectations of the scholarship.
- Your recommendation letter should give information about the scholarship, his resume, “brag sheet,” and other relevant information.
- Think about the student’s impressive strengths, along with significant experiences that have shaped his or obstacles he overcomes, and tell that along with the story you are sharing in the recommendation letter.
- Consider what anecdotes or observations you can share to portray those strengths. If he is applying for a literary scholarship, write about his publications in the town’s local magazine.
Main Parts of a Scholarship Recommendation Letter
Every scholarship recommendation letter you write will be personalized to the specific student you’re writing about, but many of these letters follow a related template, so it is crucial to know how to write scholarship recommendation letter
Here is all you need to include in your recommendation letter:
- A salutation
- An introduction; that clarifies your relationship with the student
- The body of the letter; where you explain the reason why you believe the student has the right to the scholarship
- A summary; where you restate your main points
- Your contact information and signature
Salutation
To begin your letter writing, it is essential to show sanitation to whomever the letter is directed to, just like writing other letters. Mainly, scholarship recommendation letters are referred to the scholarship committee. So, you have to be careful with your choice of words and don’t forget to make your salutation formal as usual.
Introduction
Begin by stating who you’re recommending, how you know his and in what contexts, and what authorized you to give your assessment.
This further shows that you know him well and have seen how he interacts and performs in various roles and settings.
For instance:
It’s an honor to recommend Mark, who I got to know as his 11th grade AP Calculus teacher, for the X Scholarship.
Throughout the years, I’ve known Mark as his AP Calculus teacher; he’s impressed me with his intense focus and commitment.
Body of the Letter
The body of your letter must state why the student deserves the Scholarship.
Once your introduction shows a strong statement of support and an explanation of who you are and how you know the student, you should highlight the student’s primary strengths, making sure to modify your evaluation to the specific scholarship.
If the scholarship is concentrating on academic achievement, then a statement of high ranking from a predominant teacher could go a long way; stating that the student is one of the top three you’ve taught or the best student in his class, and he is an outstanding applicant who will likely continue to excel in college.
Emphasize his distinctive commitment, talent, desire, and passion, and show them how his contributions in high school predict his continued pursuits in college. Talk about why he deserves the scholarship and that you have no doubt he will put it to good use.
Summary
Toward the end of your letter, just after the body, conclude by restating and summarizing your main points on why the student deserves the scholarship.
This part is to recapitulate everything that has been discussed about the student.
Your Contact Information
Give your contact information and invite the scholarship committee to contact you in case of further questions. If you’ve given a complete, brilliant picture of the student, then they should have all the information they need.
Other Things to Include in a Recommendation Letter
A good scholarship recommendation letter must:
- Fill a page (300-500 words) or as stated by the scholarship committee.
- Contain the student’s full name.
- Date of writing
- Name of teacher or counselor
- Title of the letter (Recommendation letter)
- Institute name
- Address
- You might want to use any of these fonts; Arial, Calibri or, Times New Roman
What to Avoid in Your Scholarship Recommendation Letter
To avoid your letter falling short, here are a few things you should not include:
- Try not to use vague or overexposed adjectives that sound generic and lack impact in your letter.
- Avoid lukewarm praise as it stands in stark contrast to enthusiastic ones.
- Avoid filling in every grade, club, or activity associated with the student, as this lacks focus.
- Avoid merely listing adjectives in your recommendation without having the stories about the student to back them up.
- Avoid abstract language if you can’t defend it with real examples.
Sample of Scholarship Recommendation Letters
Having discussed how to write scholarship recommendation letter and know all the parts, your letter should include, here’s a sample scholarship recommendation letter so you can see how it looks all linked together.
Note how the writer explains how he knows the student, gives specific examples of why the student is exceptional, refers to how the scholarship would benefit the student, and presents a powerful and passionate case for why this student deserves the scholarship.
Dear Scholarship Selection Committee,
I’m delighted to recommend Mark Jude for the Future Entrepreneurs Scholarship. I taught Mark AP Calculus classes, and I am the advisor for the high school Business Club, of which Mark is Vice President. I’ve known Mark for two years, and I’ve seen him use cleverness, business astute, hard work, and skills to achieve more than almost any high school student I know. I highly recommend him for this scholarship.
I first met Mark when he was a sophomore in my AP Calculus class. He stood out by being able to grasp Calculus concepts and engage in thoughtful discussion promptly. He’s very experienced at being able to apply even abstract calculus concepts to real-world examples and comprehend how they impact everyday life. Mark has been an active participant and one of the highest-scoring students in the class, but he always takes time to help his classmates. By the time he was in my AP Calculus class, I could put him in a group with students striving to discern certain concepts and trust him to excellently answer any questions they had while I was working with other groups.
Despite being an outstanding student and considerate peer, Mark’s most remarkable achievement is the business he began on his own and continues to run. At the end of his sophomore year, Mark came to me with a business plan for a tutoring business he wanted to run. It was exceptionally detailed, well-thought-out, and based on solid business principles, so I recommended giving it a shot. However, Mark not only got his business up and running, but he has also overseen to keep it going and even expanded it so that he now has three tutors working under him. He has shown tremendous drive and business skills, and I genuinely believe this is only the beginning for him.
Mark has talked about how he would use this scholarship to help expand his current tutoring business and begin a new business to help college students resell their books. I’ve looked over the plan for this new business, and it seems as well planned as his first. I doubt Mark has both the enthusiasm and the business sense to continue growing as an entrepreneur. I believe he would be an exceptionally deserving recipient of this award and that you can be sure he’d make the most of it, the way he has made the most of all opportunities he has had.
Sincerely,
Jeff Romeo
Mathematics Teacher
Final Note
Let’s go over the key points to remember on how to write scholarship recommendation letter.
Your letter should be tailored to the specific scholarship and its guidelines and expectations.
Speak enthusiastically about a student’s merit and why the scholarship committee should sponsor his academic and professional future. Emphasize your confidence in his future success. Talk about the student’s primary strengths as they relate to the scholarship. Be intentional with your language and flow of ideas. Use powerful words and have an impact while avoiding generic language and cliches.
While his mission is to win the scholarship, yours is to present the scholarship committee with an exceptional letter of recommendation about a student they won’t soon forget.