美國留學申請研究所一般要求三封推薦信推薦人的身份可以是曾經教你的教授，或是現(曾)職工作單位主管，自已視需要組合，例如，如果你畢業十年，你的推薦人可應有二封工作主管為宜，而畢業一兩年頂多一封即足夠，
推薦人的職務，並不一定愈高愈有利，相反地，認識你愈久而職稱不高，內容又適當地表達你的個性(personality)，才是上乘的推薦，以下，俺們將提供你推薦信需注意的要點，幫助你著手起稿推薦信：
(一)不要拖時間，儘快起草：推薦信需要時間寫，何況又得配合老師的時間，所以儘快起草你的推薦信，以便使你的推薦者有充裕的時間，為你的推薦信效力，
(二)提供充份的資訊給推薦者：如果你要推薦者能掌握你的優點，你得提供充份的資訊，自然，要儘量具體避免空洞地陳述，同時，你也該提供你申請院校截止日期給推薦者參考，以免推薦者耽誤你的申請，
(三)各推薦信的打字書信字型，宜選不同的型式，以示不同的推薦者，屬需要圈選的表格者，可以直接以手稿填入，
(四)在邏輯推理下，推薦者不可能瞭解或解你的特質，請勿提及，譬如說，學生課外活動的表現就不適於平常教授正式科目的教授提及，除非教授也參與其中，又如其它課堂的表現，除非其它教授曾經提及過，否則不適合此科教授評論學生在其它科目的表現，再如，學生如何在圖書館查資料、寫報告花費的時間，一般老師是不可能知之甚詳，除非實在太特殊而略有耳聞，故也不適合在推薦信中提及，
(五)推薦信的內容儘量簡短有力：不要虛無空洞的形容詞，例如他任職於某企業時，勤勞、負責、認真、為人謙虛、誠懇等語句，不宜多引用，最好講出具體事實，才不流於形式，尤其不要抄襲市面的書信範例，以免流於陳腔濫調，落入俗套，
(六)如果可能的話，推薦者最好與你修的科目或院校相關，譬如說：如果你將來計劃主修英語，最好推薦人之一是英語老師，又如，如果你申請常春藤名校(ivy league school)，推薦者若也是常春藤名校出身，則其推薦信將更有力，
(七)適當提及自己的“缺點”，一封推薦信如果闡述的完全是被推薦的同學的優點未免讓人覺得有粉飾之嫌，如果能恰當地加入一些“缺點”，不僅能令推薦信真實，還會通過“似貶實褒”，反而突出被推薦人的特殊氣質，例如計算機專業、數學專業乃至金融專業的同學，在推薦信中可以考慮加入這樣的詞句：“該生有時因為過分專注於研究工作而難以平衡生活各方面的關係，這不失為一種美中不足”，這句話似乎是在談“缺點”，但很明顯這樣的“缺點”其實正是很多專業最渴望的“缺點”——廢寢忘食的工作態度，從而使得“缺點”也為申請提供巨大幫助，
推薦信包含的主要題材
(一)與申請者的關係：表達清楚何種方式認識，譬如說是老師、指導教授，老闆等，說明交往多久，如果是教授學生關係，對教授的科目做一個簡短的說明，如果推薦信者是你的老闆(主管)，請詳細說明你的工作職責，
(二)推薦者對申請人人格個性特徵的印象：譬如學習精神、工作態度、與同事(同學)相處的情形、組織領導能力、學術專長、研究能力、有無工作經驗與否，並加註評語，
(三)推薦者對你能否順利完成學位的看法：譬如說，描述你對特別分配職務上的表現，以表現你的應變能力，又如，申請者是否有其它潛力未發揮? 如果申請者的成績未盡理想，評述你對申請者的看法，解釋申請者雖然形式上的成績未盡理想，卻有極深厚的潛力尚未發揮，如果申請者轉系，也可以強調申請者有強烈的學習動機， 根據推薦者的觀察，相信以申請者的表現，一定可以成功完成學業，
(四)推薦者對申請人人格個性特徵的印象：譬如學習精神、工作態度、與同事(同學)相處的情形、組織領導能力、學術專長、研究能力、有無工作經驗與否，並加註評語，
(五)重述推薦者對申請人的支援及能力的確認，以再次肯定對申請人的支援與推薦，
美國留學申請推薦信的模式
推薦信的格式有些模式可循，以下將針對各段提供模式作參考：
(一)抬頭可用的格式有：
dear sir/madam;
to whom it may concern:
(二)第一段：引文句子可以引用如：
“it is a pleasure to recommend to you (name)， a former student of mine at (name of university).”
“i an very happy to have this opportunity to recommend (name)， who is presently applying for admission to your graduate (or undergraduate) program in (name of program).”
“i understand that (name) is applying for admissions to your graduate (undergraduate) school， and has requested that i write this letter of recommendation for her/him.”
“in my capacity as professor at xxxx university， i have known xxx for three years， as both his/her advisor and professor.”
(三)第二段：這段可以提供最實質的內容，譬如，如果推薦者是教授， 解釋學生在他門下所修的課程，
“(name) took two of my courses during the 1984-85 academic year， as follows; “xxxxx” and “xxxxx”.”
“(name) was enrolled in three of classes from september 1984 to june 1986 “xxx” and “xxx”.”
接下來，教授寫一些有關申請人在課堂上的表現，如完成的研究計劃、實驗室研究、研究報告、考試的成績、課堂態度、討論課的參與等，舉出例項，
“in my class (es)， (name) did excellent work. she always listened attentively， participated activitely in class， and handed in very good written assignment.
“in particular， his/her research paper on (topic) was of exceptionally high quality， and showed that s/he fully understands and has a strong background in his/her field.”
如果推薦人是工作主管，首先一定要仔細陳述申請人的工作職責，並對申請者工作表現作一評估，如果可能的話儘量列舉例項，
“when (name) held the position of (job title) in this company she was one s/he was one of my best employees. his/her job responsibilities 。
美國留學推薦信模板
From: Fan Pu
Department of the SPECIAL CLASS GIFTED for YOUTHS
University of Science and Technology
Hefei, Anhui 230026, P.R. China
July 1, 1998
Dear Sir or Madam:
I take great pleasure in recommending Wang Yong, one of my favorite students, for admission into your distinguished graduate program.
Mr. Wang was admitted in 1986 at 14 years of age into the SPECIAL CLASS for the GIFTED YOUTHS, my university's unique program that caters to the intellectual needs of unusually talented Chinese youngsters. It was a rare privilege he earned with his nearly impeccable academic performance through the years of his elementary and secondary school.
He impressed me almost as he entered into my university, a major cradle of china's scientific and technological talents. At the time, members of the Gifted Class all had to spend half a month studying by themselves the principles of calculus and then take an exam so that we could evaluate their self-study capability. Mr. Wang scored the highest grade in that exam. He also exhibited a keenly whetted mind during class discussions. To my regret at the time, his English was not as good as his mathematics or physics. But I noticed he made a point of working especially hard in improving his English during his five undergraduate years with us. By now, he seems to be at least as proficient in English as most of his former classmates in the Gifted Class.
In my experience with Mr. Wang, I was impressed with not only his extraordinary intelligence but also his ambitions and persistence. I am sure that Mr. Wang will be an outstanding student in any doctoral program that he may care to enroll in. So I would like to support him firmly in his quest recommendation into account when considering his application. I would greatly appreciate it you decide to accept him as he wishes.
Yours sincerely
Fan Pu
Professor and Deputy Head
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