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What to include in a reference letter
Organize the letter so the reader can quickly understand your perspective and assess the candidate’s fit:
- Address the recipient. Use a named recipient or selection committee when known. If the instructions specify a salutation or format, follow them.
- Identify the candidate and opportunity. State whom you are recommending and, when known, the job, program, scholarship, or other opportunity.
- Explain your relationship. Say your role, how you know the candidate, the context in which you observed their work, and how long you have known them.
- Give your assessment. State your overall view and level of recommendation clearly.
- Support it with examples. Describe relevant work, actions, or accomplishments you observed, and explain what they demonstrate.
- Close professionally. Restate your recommendation, then provide your name, title, and contact details when appropriate.
UW Bothell’s faculty recommendation-letter template follows this general pattern and prompts writers to use concrete examples and relevant activities.
Adaptable reference letter sample
Use this as a framework, replacing every bracketed item with accurate details. Keep only claims you can support from your own knowledge.
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- E-mails, memos and letters that get read—and get action
- Proposals, recommendations, and presentations that sell ideas
- Plans and reports that get things done
- Fund-raising and sales letters that produce results
- Resumes and letters that lead to interviews
Dear [recipient or selection committee],
I am pleased to recommend [candidate’s name] for [job, program, scholarship, or opportunity]. I am [your role] at [organization or institution], and I have known [candidate] for [length of time] in my capacity as [relationship or context]. This has allowed me to observe [their relevant work, skills, or qualities].
[Candidate] demonstrated [relevant quality or skill] when [specific situation, project, or responsibility]. [Describe what the candidate did and the outcome or what it showed.] This experience is relevant to [opportunity or selection criterion] because [brief explanation].
[Add another example if useful. Focus on a different relevant quality or responsibility, and describe what you personally observed.]
Based on [your direct basis for judgment], I recommend [candidate] [clearly state the strength of your recommendation] for [opportunity]. Please contact me at [email or phone] if I can provide further information.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Title and organization]
[Contact information]
The opening phrase is adapted from UW Bothell’s template; the rest is a practical structure, not required wording. Adjust the length, salutation, and level of detail to the recipient’s instructions.
How to tailor the letter to the opportunity
Start with what the recipient is selecting for, not with a general list of the candidate’s virtues. A letter for employment may need examples tied to the role; an academic, scholarship, or program reference should respond to the qualities or criteria its application names. Choose evidence that helps the reader judge those criteria.
Berkeley’s reference-letter guidance recommends reviewing background information and making detailed reference to specific projects, activities, or work produced. Instead of writing only that someone is “reliable,” describe a situation in which you saw them meet a responsibility, and explain why that matters for the opportunity.
- Use examples from work or activities you observed directly.
- Explain what the candidate did and what the example demonstrates.
- Leave out unsupported adjectives, speculation, and résumé-like lists that do not connect to the selection criteria.
Decide whether you can give an informed endorsement
A reference is useful when the writer can speak credibly about the candidate’s relevant qualities. Tufts advises writers to stay within what they have observed and avoid exaggeration or speculation beyond their knowledge. If you do not know the person’s work well enough, or cannot give the strong endorsement they need, UW Bothell advises declining so they can approach a more suitable recommender.
If you have reservations, do not disguise them with inflated praise. Be candid with the applicant before agreeing to write, and accept only if you can provide an accurate, useful assessment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What applicants should give a recommender
Applicants can help a recommender write a specific and accurate letter by sharing:
- The opportunity description and application deadline.
- The recipient’s requested qualities, criteria, and submission instructions.
- A concise list of relevant accomplishments or projects the recommender may have observed.
- Useful background materials, such as a résumé or CV, cover letter, or personal statement.
UW Bothell suggests allowing at least four weeks for an initial letter and one to two weeks for subsequent letters. These are that university’s suggested timelines, not universal deadlines; ask early and confirm what the actual application requires.
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Format and submission: follow the recipient’s rules
Check whether the letter must be uploaded, emailed, submitted through a form, or provided in another way, and whether the recipient specifies a length, format, or letterhead. A sample is only a guide when the application gives different directions.
Tufts describes a four-to-five-paragraph structure, recommends professional business formatting with flush-left paragraphs, and suggests 11-point type and a one-to-two-page length. Those are Tufts recommendations, not requirements for every letter. Use the recipient’s instructions and applicable institutional letterhead policies if they differ. See Tufts’ recommendation-letter guidance for its format advice.
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