出国留学导师推荐信对于申请美国研究生的学生来说是非常关键的,一封好的导师推荐信对于录取结果具有很大影响。一封“好”的推荐信应当：
1、说明推荐人何时认识该学生，并从课堂外的其他几个方面阐述学生的能力
2、详尽详实
3、有具体事例
4、把该学生和其他学生比较，解释为什么这名学生更优秀（如课程成绩全班第一，是我带过的最好的几个学生之一，blabla……）
5、从具体方面展现学生的能力，而不是泛泛而谈“XXX is an excellent student prepared for grad school”（所有的推荐信都会这么说！）
接下来我们看看一位外国教授写的：
To: Graduate Admissions Committee
It is my pleasure to write on behalf of Jane Student, who is applying to the PhD program in Research Psychology at Major University. I have interacted with Jane in several contexts: as student, as teaching assistant, and as thesis mentee.
I first met Jane in 2008, when she enrolled in my introductory Psychology class. Jane immediately stood out from the crowd, even as a first semester freshman. Just a few months out of high school, Jane demonstrated characteristics commonly held by the best college students. She was attentive in class, prepared, submitted well-written and thoughtful assignments, and participated in meaningful ways, such as by debating other students.
Throughout, Jane modeled critical thinking skills. Needless to say, Jane earned one of five A’s awarded in that class of 75 students. Since her first semester in college Jane has enrolled in six of my classes. She demonstrated similar competencies, and her skills grew with each semester. Most striking is her ability to tackle challenging material with enthusiasm and endurance.
I teach a required course in Statistics that, as rumor has it, most students dread. Students’ fears of statistics is legendary across institutions, but Jane wasn’t fazed. As usual she was prepared for class, completed all assignments, and attended help sessions conducted by my teaching assistant. My teaching assistant reported that Jane seemed to learn concepts quickly, learning how to solve problems well before the other students. When placed in group work sessions,
Jane easily adopted a leadership role, helping her peers learn how to solve problems on their own. It was these competencies that led me to offer Jane a position as teaching assistant for my statistics class.
As teaching assistant, Jane strengthened many of the skills I have articulated. In this position Jane held review sessions and offered out-of-class assistance to students. She also lectured in class several times during the semester. Her first lecture was a bit shaky. She clearly knew the concepts but had difficulty keeping pace with PowerPoint slides. When she abandoned the slides and worked off the blackboard, she improved. She was able to answer students questions and the two that she couldn’t answer she admitted to and said she’d get back to them. As a first lecture, she was very good. Most important to a career in academics, is that she improved in subsequent lectures. Leadership, humility, the ability to see areas in need of improvement, and the willingness to do the work needed to improve – these are all characteristics we value in academia.
Most important to a career in academics is research competence. As I have explained, Jane has an excellent grasp of statistics and other skills critical to a successful career in research, such as tenacity and excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills. As mentor of her senior thesis, I witnessed Jane in her first independent research efforts. Similar to other students, Jane struggled with finding an appropriate topic. Unlike other students, she conducted mini literature reviews on potential topics and discussed her ideas with a sophistication that is unusual for undergraduates. After methodical study, she chose a topic that fits her academic goals. Jane’s project examined [X]. Her project earned a department award, university award, and was presented as a paper at a regional psychology association.
In closing, I believe that Jane student has the capacity to excel at X and in a career as a research psychologist. She is one of a small handful of student that I have encountered I my 16 years teaching undergraduates that has this ability.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions.
为什么这封推荐信很好？明德立人留学顾问总结，因为：
1、写这封信的教授对申请人很了解
2、这名教授谈到了申请人好几个方面的能力
3、描述了该名学生的进步提升轨迹
所以，想申请美国研究生的同学们，应当尽量和多位老师建立良好的关系，因为一位教授绝对无法在信中说完你全部的优点。记住，好的推荐信绝不是一朝一夕完成的！