The Letter of reference (LOR)

General Guidelines
The letter of reference has the utmost importance for overseas applicants as the university
faculty does not have the chance to have a face to face interview with the applicant.
We have summarized some of the important points to set you on the right track..

1)

Who should write your LOR?

The referee should have known the applicant either in an academic or a professional
capacity. A LOR may be obtained from a) Teacher/Professor: Should be the one who knows you for quite some time (at least one
academic year). It is advisable to select a referee who has taught you a subject in close
tandem to the area of interest of your higher studies (Your Mechanical engineering
professor for MS/Phd in Mechanical engineering)
b) Employer/Supervisor: In case the candidate has work experience of a year and above a
second reference may be supplied by an employer or a supervisor to whom the candidate
has been reporting directly.
c) Clients/Customer: In case of applicant is working in a family business (a relative does not
qualify as a referee) reference may be obtained from clients and customers with whom you
may have been interacting for a reasonable period of time.

2)

How many and in which format ? Are original LORs required for each application?
There should be at least 2 LORs with each application. In an ideal scenario the LOR should
be obtained on the specific reference from the university. However in the case of multiple
applications the procedure becomes cumbersome. Hence student s have the options of
getting a common LOR on the letterhead of school/college/company with the official stamp
of the referee. Most universities accept these as well.

MJA Internal

Acs_LOR_Guidelines

3)

What should a LOR Contain?

A LOR requires the teacher /employer to make his personal assessment of the applicants
suitability for the chosen course. The referee may comment on:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

How long the referee has known the applicant and in what capacity.
Actual assessment of the candidates intellectual capacity.
What are the students major abilities, strengths and weaknesses?
Motivation and suitability for the program applied for.
The applicants ability to communicate in English.
Assessment of ability to work independently, such as examples from the projects you
have handled that demonstrates your abilities.
g) Special attributes that the referee may have noticed in the applicant at a personal level.
h) Any other comments that would help the faculty to make a decision on applicants
suitability for the program.

MJA Internal

Acs_LOR_Guidelines