UCB LINGUISTICS:

WRITTEN / PROVI DED B Y :

P RO F . E VE S WEETSER

A GU IDE T O WR IT ING R EC OM M ENDA T IO N L ETT ERS FOR INT ER NAT IO NA L A PP L IC A NTS

A LL RE C O M M EN DAT I ON LE TTERS FOR GRADUATE A P P L I C ANTS ARE READ BY THE SA M E C O M M ITTE E , THE D E P ARTMENTA L G RADUATE A DM I S S I O N S C O MM ITT E E . N O ON E FACU LT Y M EM BER HA S S P E C I A L I NF LUEN C E OV ER AD M I S S I O N S D E C I S I ON S , AN D T HE C O M M IT TEE WI L L WE IGH A L L THE P ARTS OF E A C H A P P L I C A NT S FI LE . I NTERNATI ONA L A P P L I C ANTS AND U.S. AP P LI C ANTS ARE EVA LUATE D BY T HE SA M E OV ERALL CR ITERI A . (T HERE ARE S O M E D IF FERENC E S IN D ETA I L ; V ERBAL GRE S C ORE S ARE NOT D IRE CT L Y C O M P ARED UN LE S S THE INT ERNATI ONA L AP P LI C ANT I S A NATIVE E NGLI S H S P E AK ER .) T HE F O L L OW ING ARE E S P E C I A L L Y I M P O RTANT P I E C E S OF A DV I C E FOR FACU LT Y WRITING REC O MM EN D AT I ON LETTERS FOR INTERNATI ONA L STUD ENTS . (1) P LE A S E BE S P E C IF I C . A MERI CAN REC O M M EN DAT I ON LETT ERS ARE EXP E CT E D TO S HOW S P E C IF I C P ERS ONA L KN OW LE DG E OF THE STUD ENT S ABI LI T I E S , P ERHA P S EVEN OF THE IR D EF I C IT S AS WE L L ( HON E ST Y I S I M P ORTANT ). A LT HOUG H US EFUL , IT I S NOT SUFFI C I ENT FOR A REC O MM EN D ER TO S A Y T H I S I S AN EXC E L LE NT STUD ENT , WHO WROTE A GO O D P A P E R FOR M Y S O C I O L INGU I ST I C S C OURSE . Y OU S HOU L D TRY T O EXP LA IN WHAT PA RTICU LAR
INTE L LE CTUA L ABI L IT I E S OR P ERS ONA L TRAITS MA K E THI S STUD ENT A S P E C I A L L Y G O O D CAN D I D ATE F OR OUR GRADUATE PROGRAM .

I T I S HE LPFU L T O C IT E S P E C IF I C I N S TANCE S OF EXC E L LE NT P ERFORMANCE BE Y ON D EXPE CTAT I ONS ( P ERHA P S T HE STUD ENT RAN I NTO S O M E D IFF I CU LT Y , BUT C O M P LET E D AN AS S I GNM ENT SA L I ENT L Y WE L L D E S P I T E THE D IF FI CU LT Y ; P ERHA P S Y OU WERE PARTI CU LARLY I M PRE S S E D BY T HI S STUD ENT S ANAL YT I C ABI L I TI E S IN A C ERTAIN AREA ). S P E C IF I C D ETA I LS ARE USEFU L TO U S BOT H IN GETTING TO K NOW THE AP P LI C ANT , AND IN HE LP ING IN SURE THAT REC O M M EN D ERS REA L L Y KN OW THE A P P L I C ANT WE LL AN D ARE QUA LIF I E D T O GIV E AN O P I NI ON . (2) P LEA S E G IV E US C A L I BRATI ON . G EN ERA LL Y , Y OU S HOU L D TRY TO HE LP U S UND ERSTAND Y OUR UNIVERS IT Y S GRAD ING AN D EVA LU ATI ON S Y ST E M GRAD ING S Y ST E M S VARY GREAT L Y AROUND THE WOR LD , WHI C H OFTEN HAND I C A P S US IN EVA LUAT ING THE GRAD E REC ORD S OF INTERNATI ONA L A P P L I C ANTS . I T I S THEREFORE HE LPFU L IF AN INTERNATI ONA L
REC O MM EN D AT I ON LETT ER TE L LS U S WHAT P ERC ENTAGE OF STUD ENTS IN Y O UR PROGRAM WOU LD N ORMA LL Y REC E IV E GRADE S IN THE CAN D I D AT E S RANGE OR HIG HER .

M ORE S P E C IF I C D ATA I S WE LC O M E TO O ; ON E LETT ER TO L D US T HAT A PARTI CU LAR AP P L I C ANT S GRAD E S WERE IN FACT THE HIG HE ST GRADE S EVER AWARDE D T O AN HON ORS STUD ENT IN THAT PROGRAM . (3) P LEA S E BE HON E ST . W E A S SUM E Y OU WI L L ON L Y WRITE A REC O M M EN DAT I ON LET TER FOR A CAN D I D ATE OF WHOM Y OU THI NK HIG H L Y . B UT A REA LI ST I C A S S E S S M ENT OF A CAND I D AT E I S ULT I MAT E L Y THE M O ST US EFUL TO BOT H T HE CAN D I D AT E AND T HE PROGRAM . B E S I D E S ,
EXAGGERATED PRAI S E OFTEN S OUND S UNREA LI ST I C AN D I S HARD FOR THE REA D ER TO TAK E S ERI OU S L Y .

(4) T O THE EXTENT P O S S I BLE , P LE A S E A D DRE S S BOT H T HE C AN D I D AT E S P ERFORMANC E IN Y OUR PROGRAM AND HI S OR HER GENERA L RES E ARC H P OTENT IA L . W E REA LI Z E THAT NOT
EVER Y REC O M M EN D ER WI L L BE E QUA L L Y QUA L IF I E D TO EVA LUAT E FUTURE RESE ARC H

BUT EVERY CAN D I D ATE S HOU L D HAV E REC O MM EN D ERS WHO S P E AK S P E C IF I C A L L Y TO THI S P O I NT .
P OT ENTIA L OF A REC O M M EN D E D CAN D I D AT E