Thank you for agreeing to be a Waterloo graduate studies applicant's referee.
Strong references are key to successful applications for admissions, scholarships and awards. Here are a few tips for you.
- Make the time for the students you mentor to assist them with their full application packages, including selection of additional referees.
- Collect the background information you need to inform your letter (e.g. the applicant’s current CV, proposed plan of study, academic transcripts).
- Explain why you are qualified to appraise the applicant.
- Tailor your reference letter to the requested criteria. Failure to comment on a specified characteristic (e.g. leadership) might be seen as weakness in that area.
- Provide clear indication of the applicant’s strengths (e.g. quantify: the best writing skills of the 20 PhD students I have supervised; provide examples; use superlatives appropriately).
- Elaborate on accomplishments (e.g. explain why a grade, presentation or publication is noteworthy; why the research plan is important).
- Reflect the true merits of the applicant. Although you will want to present the candidate positively, not everyone is in the top 2%. Misrepresentation will be picked up by reviewers.
- Address areas of potential criticism, if relevant (e.g. explain why an aspect of the record, such as a poor early grades or a lower-than-expected publication rate, may not reflect the potential of the applicant).
- Make your letter stand out. Reviewers read many, many letters.
- Proofread your letter.
- Reiterate the CV or plan of study without elaboration.
- For confidentiality reasons, make comparisons to other students by name.
- Talk about yourself (your course, your research program) without bringing it back to the applicant (e.g. their strengths, how it supports their academic growth).
- Assume the reader understands specifics of your field, e.g., technical aspects, the best journals.
- Use faint praise. While a statement such as, “They will likely successfully complete the program,” may be the best you can say for a borderline applicant, this will disadvantage a top scholar.
- Include irrelevant information.
- Leave too little time.