For a student to pursue college education with a scholarship, there are some formalities that need to be taken care of. For most scholarship programs, one of the requirements to qualify is a recommendation letter for scholarship. This comes from a person who knows the student’s capabilities and the reasons on why he/she deserves a scholarship. It serves as a powerful testament to a student’s past achievements and future potential.
Contents
- 1 Recommendation Letters For Scholarship
- 2 What to include in the letter?
- 3 Who should you choose?
- 4 Scholarship Recommendation Letters
- 5 How long should a scholarship recommendation letter be?
- 6 The importance of a recommendation letter in your scholarship application
- 7 Referee Letters For Scholarship
- 8 How do you write a recommendation letter for a scholarship?
Recommendation Letters For Scholarship
What to include in the letter?
Upon learning of this requirement, you might wonder, “What do I need to do to get a great recommendation letter for scholarship?” The answer can be a little tricky because you aren’t supposed to write this letter. Before you write the letter, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the person I’m planning to ask the best person to write the letter for me?
- Does the person have enough time to compose the letter?
- Does the person know enough about me to compose the letter? For this, you have to provide them with relevant information like your major, your grades, the type of scholarship you’re applying for, a copy of your application, and anything else they ask for.
- Should I write the letter myself and request the person to sign it? If you choose to do this, inform the person in advance and you should get their consent first. The scholarship committee might call the recommender if they want to ask questions or get clarifications. If the person doesn’t agree, you might get into trouble
After the person writes your referee letter for scholarship, check that it has the following components:
- A formal letterhead like the letterhead of the school
- Professional formatting
- A proper salutation
- A short restatement of the scholarship’s requirements
- Why the person fits the requirements of a recommender
- Your accomplishments and abilities
- Other positive points of interest
- The recommender’s signature
If it includes all of these pointers, you may already have a strong letter that can make the scholarship committee think seriously about your application.
Who should you choose?
A typical recommendation letter for scholarship provides information about your character, achievements, and qualities to fulfill the basic requirements of your chosen scholarship. Before composing the letter, the person you choose needs to get thoroughly familiar with the scholarship’s requirements so that they will match the letter to the terms of reference of the grant.
Additionally, the recommender must interview you about any extra-curricular activities that you’re involved in or the awards you might have received in the past. Often, the letter comes from a professor, a counselor or a teacher. But there may also be instances when an employer or an athletic coach might be the most appropriate choice, although this depends on the criteria of the scholarship.
The most important thing to remember is that the person you choose understands the requirements of the scholarship so that they can use what they know about you in the best possible way. Furthermore, the person you choose can justify their recommendation with a number of specific examples.
Scholarship Recommendation Letters
How long should a scholarship recommendation letter be?
A letter of recommendation for scholarship that contains too many pages isn’t advisable. Ideally, it should only occupy one whole page with approximately 300 to 500 words. It must include the basic parts of a standard letter. These include a formal letterhead, an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. All of these parts should be professionally written.
The importance of a recommendation letter in your scholarship application
A scholarship recommendation letter is important as it accomplishes several things within your scholarship application. These are:
- It serves as an endorsement
The letter itself acts as a strong endorsement because it praises your personal and academic qualities while expressing confidence in your success in the future. A well-drafted letter allows you to go beyond your resume to come out as a multi-dimensional individual to the scholarship committee. The letter is also proof that there are people in your life who feel motivated to speak on your behalf. - It highlights positive things about you
In illuminating your impressive qualities, the letter provides more evidence that you’re deserving and qualified to get the scholarship. In most cases, scholarships go to students who have specific goals or commitments. They are usually awarded to those pursuing studies in math, engineering, science, literary studies or computer science. - It’s customized
The person you choose should customize the letter to the scholarship while they attest that you are both eligible for and deserving of the scholarship, based on their merit or need. This letter also is very helpful, especially if you’re financially strapped. In it, the person you choose to write the letter can discuss your ability to succeed even if you have limited resources. - It supports your application
The letter adds and compliments the story that you have laid out in your application and why you deserve to receive the scholarship. For this to accurately and successfully eventuate, the recommender you choose must first gather all of the information they need and come up with ideas before starting to write the letter.
Referee Letters For Scholarship
How do you write a recommendation letter for a scholarship?
A traditional application for a scholarship usually requires you to provide details on how you have performed in schools so far, as well as, what you intend to do to advance your learning in the future. Although this information might sound trivial, it helps administrators get a feel of your hopes and aspirations to help them decide who to grant the scholarship to.
Including a well-written scholarship recommendation letter in your application, whether it’s a requirement or not may help improve your chances. To make this letter, the person writing it must include the following:
- A professional salutation like, “Dear Selection Committee.”
- An introduction in which the person described the relationship that exists between you.
- The body of the letter in which the person outlines the reason why the selection committee should consider for the scholarship.
- A summary in which all the person reiterates all of the points above. This also contains words of appreciation for reading the letter.
- The person’s signature along with their contact details.
In addition to all these elements, the person should type the referee letter for scholarship on a computer then print it out on paper before affixing their signature. Since the letter is a formal document, it should appear as professional as possible.
