What you want in a letter of recommendation?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

FauxxFox

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
May 30, 2014
Messages
39
Reaction score
7
Hey everybody!

So I recently asked an individual for a letter of recommendation. They seemed more than happy to write me one, and they asked me to write to them what I wanted in the letter of recommendation. I worked closely with this individual (internship coordinator for a wildlife refuge I interned and then continued to volunteer for), but am puzzled as to what exactly I "should" ask for in a letter of recommendation for veterinary school. Any good recommendations (specific values, characteristics, work ethic, etc.)? I will, obviously, only include things I know are representative of myself, I'm just wondering how to word things.

Members don't see this ad.
 
In my opinion, it defeats the purpose of you tell them what to write/ what characteristics "you believe" you exemplify. If this individual is really at a loss for what they should write then I could be doubtful that they know you well enough to be writing a letter in the first place.

I would assume rather that this individual is asking you more or less, how to write this letter of recommendation. In that case...you can google it and find this nice little outline to share :)
  1. Description of how long the reviewer has known you, and under what circumstances.
  2. If a working situation, the letter should describe your employment responsibilities, and how your work has progressed as you have gained experience and competence.
  3. Description of your attributes, including both technical and personal qualities, in specific terms to your situation. Letters with platitudes and non-specific descriptions are unhelpful in distinguishing you from other candidates.
  4. Narrative of your technical competence, personal and professional qualities, creativity, intellectual stimulation, and progress in your work or studies.
  5. Comparison of your suitability for the position with other candidates previously evaluated. Though this is actually part of the VMCAS form, it is often helpful to elaborate on this aspect in the letter.
 
I had one of my references ask me the same thing.

I sent her a couple of links aimed at people writing reference letters for veterinary applicants. One of them (can't remember where from) listed several attributes that a reference might want to consider focusing on.

I wanted to stay away from telling her that she should write about how I'm x, y, & z because maybe she doesn't think that I'm x, y, & z (or maybe she does but she can't really support it based on the limits of her experience with me) and instead she thinks I'm a, b, & c.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hi FauxxFox,

This strategy isn't unheard of. It's becoming more common for references to ask the subject in question what they think should be included in a review. Some even go so far as to request the subject to write the review themselves.

Here is what I would look for in an applicant's letter, if I were reviewing candidate files. Predominantly, specific commentary addressing the following:

-Interpersonal skills: how did this person get along with ALL levels of staff (management, administrative, technical support) as well as clients?
-Problem solving ability: could this person come up with effective solutions to problems, when these arose in the workplace?
-Initiative and drive: did this person go above and beyond the average, to learn as much as he or she could about the profession?
-Resilience: how capable is this individual of bouncing back from a setback or failure? Does criticism crush his or her soul?
-Enthusiasm: was this person flat, or did they bring some flair and panache along with their personality? Did they appear to be truly committed to the profession?
-Knowledge base: did this person seem reasonably intelligent- sufficiently intelligent to handle the rigors of a veterinary curriculum?
-Flexibility: how rigid is this individual? Does he or she have the ability to change direction (thought and action), if a situation warrants it? What about when it comes to perspectives that differ from their own?

In each case (and every case when it comes to an employee review), it is ALWAYS better to show rather than tell. For example, if your reviewer thinks that you're smart and capable, what interactions demonstrated to the reviewer that such was the case? Incident and story, particularly those that demonstrate patterns of behavior, go a long way toward making a case for a candidate.

In summary, your reviewer needs to get across that: you can get along with people, you're sufficiently intelligent to handle the rigor of the curriculum, and that you have the potential to enjoy and succeed at a future in vet medicine.

Best of success!
 
Just thought of a few others..

-Ethics: does this person demonstrate a solid ethical stance when it comes to tricky (and commonplace) situations?
-Responsibility: does this person take responsibility for his or her actions, or pass the buck to others undeservedly?

These are good ones.
 
I would look at your personal statement and what qualities you brought out in yourself and I would ask them to write things that support your assertions. I'm a big believer in the complete package, where all the components support each other to give a very unified story.
 
Thank you, everyone, for your input and examples. It is very helpful! When the individual asked me what I wanted in the letter, they more-so worded it asking me what the specific schools I was applying for would find most beneficial in a letter. Sorry for any confusion with my wording in the original post! Hopefully this will help me explain more clearly to the recommender what I want :)
 
I do not think the person should make the eLOR really specific since it will be going on the entire application. What everyone here said is really helpful, they should pretty much be writing a character and work ethic evaluation.
 
I do not think the person should make the eLOR really specific since it will be going on the entire application. What everyone here said is really helpful, they should pretty much be writing a character and work ethic evaluation.

I completely disagree, for two reasons.

First, the more general it is, the less persuasive and more cookie-cutter it sounds. Second, the eLOR is a GREAT place to give some proof to the qualities you claim about yourself in the PS. And, by having the eLOR dovetail with the rest of your app it gives the whole thing a consistent, unified feel.
 
I do not think the person should make the eLOR really specific since it will be going on the entire application. What everyone here said is really helpful, they should pretty much be writing a character and work ethic evaluation.

I'm not sure if you're referring to specificity in terms of being personally specific or specific regarding schools I am applying to, if that makes sense. But I do agree with LetItSnow that an eLOR should be specific and detailed in terms of the individual themselves, rather than specific schools since the evaluation goes to every VMCAS school one applies to.
 
One of my ELORs asked if there was anything I would like mentioned, and I actually asked her if she could make sure that she mentioned the qualities she like about my Senior RA experience as she was the overseeing RD. That would mean she would talk about leadership, interpersonal communication, critical thinking, reliability, team work, and other qualities. I felt that she would have no problem with that seeing as the year I was Senior RA, our building was significantly better off than every other building, and it was mainly due to the fact us three RAs and the RD all worked really well together and with the residents. She had plenty of examples of all those qualities. I feel if your evaluator and be specific in your letter (as LIS said) and use experiences to describe your qualities, it gives a lot more personality and meaning to your letter.
 
I completely disagree, for two reasons.

First, the more general it is, the less persuasive and more cookie-cutter it sounds. Second, the eLOR is a GREAT place to give some proof to the qualities you claim about yourself in the PS. And, by having the eLOR dovetail with the rest of your app it gives the whole thing a consistent, unified feel.

I think I am being misunderstood. The person should be specific about the qualities of the person and different experiences that they had with them, they SHOULD NOT tailor their letter to a specific school, which what the eLOR writer was asking about. That is why I said it shouldn't be too specific. The rule of applying to vet school, whether it is a letter of recommendation or a PS, is to show not tell with examples.

That is why I said that everyone's suggestions are fine.
 
I'm not sure if you're referring to specificity in terms of being personally specific or specific regarding schools I am applying to, if that makes sense. But I do agree with LetItSnow that an eLOR should be specific and detailed in terms of the individual themselves, rather than specific schools since the evaluation goes to every VMCAS school one applies to.

I was referring to not being specific regarding the schools. I think that you should consider the advice of everyone on this thread.
 
Top