美国留学申请研究所一般要求三封推荐信推荐人的身份可以是曾经教你的教授，或是现(曾)职工作单位主管，自已视需要组合，例如，如果你毕业十年，你的推荐人可应有二封工作主管为宜，而毕业一两年顶多一封即足够，

　　推荐人的职务，并不一定愈高愈有利，相反地，认识你愈久而职称不高，内容又适当地表达你的个性(personality)，才是上乘的推荐，以下，俺们将提供你推荐信需注意的要点，帮助你着手起稿推荐信：

　　(一)不要拖时间，尽快起草：推荐信需要时间写，何况又得配合老师的时间，所以尽快起草你的推荐信，以便使你的推荐者有充裕的时间，为你的推荐信效力，

　　(二)提供充份的信息给推荐者：如果你要推荐者能掌握你的优点，你得提供充份的信息，自然，要尽量具体避免空洞地陈述，同时，你也该提供你申请院校截止日期给推荐者参考，以免推荐者耽误你的申请，

　　(三)各推荐信的打字书信字体，宜选不同的型式，以示不同的推荐者，属需要圈选的表格者，可以直接以手稿填入，

　　(四)在逻辑推理下，推荐者不可能了解或解你的特质，请勿提及，譬如说，学生课外活动的表现就不适于平常教授正式科目的教授提及，除非教授也参与其中，又如其它课堂的表现，除非其它教授曾经提及过，否则不适合此科教授评论学生在其它科目的表现，再如，学生如何在图书馆查数据、写报告花费的时间，一般老师是不可能知之甚详，除非实在太特殊而略有耳闻，故也不适合在推荐信中提及，

　　(五)推荐信的内容尽量简短有力：不要虚无空洞的形容词，例如他任职于某企业时，勤劳、负责、认真、为人谦虚、诚恳等语句，不宜多引用，最好讲出具体事实，才不流于形式，尤其不要抄袭市面的书信范例，以免流于陈腔滥调，落入俗套，

　　(六)如果可能的话，推荐者最好与你修的科目或院校相关，譬如说：如果你将来计划主修英语，最好推荐人之一是英语老师，又如，如果你申请常春藤名校(ivy league school)，推荐者若也是常春藤名校出身，则其推荐信将更有力，

　　(七)适当提及自己的“缺点”，一封推荐信如果阐述的完全是被推荐的同学的优点未免让人觉得有粉饰之嫌，如果能恰当地加入一些“缺点”，不仅能令推荐信真实，还会通过“似贬实褒”，反而突出被推荐人的特殊气质，例如计算机专业、数学专业乃至金融专业的同学，在推荐信中可以考虑加入这样的词句：“该生有时因为过分专注于研究工作而难以平衡生活各方面的关系，这不失为一种美中不足”，这句话似乎是在谈“缺点”，但很明显这样的“缺点”其实正是很多专业最渴望的“缺点”——废寝忘食的工作态度，从而使得“缺点”也为申请提供巨大帮助，

　　推荐信包含的主要题材

　　(一)与申请者的关系：表达清楚何种方式认识，譬如说是老师、指导教授，老板等，说明交往多久，如果是教授学生关系，对教授的科目做一个简短的说明，如果推荐信者是你的老板(主管)，请详细说明你的工作职责，

　　(二)推荐者对申请人人格个性特征的印象：譬如学习精神、工作态度、与同事(同学)相处的情形、组织领导能力、学术专长、研究能力、有无工作经验与否，并加注评语，

　　(三)推荐者对你能否顺利完成学位的看法：譬如说，描述你对特别分配职务上的表现，以表现你的应变能力，又如，申请者是否有其它潜力未发挥? 如果申请者的成绩未尽理想，评述你对申请者的看法，解释申请者虽然形式上的成绩未尽理想，却有极深厚的潜力尚未发挥，如果申请者转系，也可以强调申请者有强烈的学习动机， 根据推荐者的观察，相信以申请者的表现，一定可以成功完成学业，

　　(四)推荐者对申请人人格个性特征的印象：譬如学习精神、工作态度、与同事(同学)相处的情形、组织领导能力、学术专长、研究能力、有无工作经验与否，并加注评语，

　　(五)重述推荐者对申请人的支持及能力的确认，以再次肯定对申请人的支持与推荐，

　　美国留学申请推荐信的模式

　　推荐信的格式有些模式可循，以下将针对各段提供模式作参考：

　　(一)抬头可用的格式有：

　　dear sir/madam;

　　to whom it may concern:

　　(二)第一段：引文句子可以引用如：

　　“it is a pleasure to recommend to you (name)， a former student of mine at (name of university).”

　　“i an very happy to have this opportunity to recommend (name)， who is presently applying for admission to your graduate (or undergraduate) program in (name of program).”

　　“i understand that (name) is applying for admissions to your graduate (undergraduate) school， and has requested that i write this letter of recommendation for her/him.”

　　“in my capacity as professor at xxxx university， i have known xxx for three years， as both his/her advisor and professor.”

　　(三)第二段：这段可以提供最实质的内容，譬如，如果推荐者是教授， 解释学生在他门下所修的课程，

　　“(name) took two of my courses during the 1984-85 academic year， as follows; “xxxxx” and “xxxxx”.”

　　“(name) was enrolled in three of classes from september 1984 to june 1986 “xxx” and “xxx”.”

　　接下来，教授写一些有关申请人在课堂上的表现，如完成的研究计划、实验室研究、研究报告、考试的成绩、课堂态度、讨论课的参与等，举出实例，

　　“in my class (es)， (name) did excellent work. she always listened attentively， participated activitely in class， and handed in very good written assignment.

　　“in particular， his/her research paper on (topic) was of exceptionally high quality， and showed that s/he fully understands and has a strong background in his/her field.”

　　如果推荐人是工作主管，首先一定要仔细陈述申请人的工作职责，并对申请者工作表现作一评估，如果可能的话尽量列举实例，

　　“when (name) held the position of (job title) in this company she was one s/he was one of my best employees. his/her job responsibilities 。

　　美国留学推荐信模板

　　From: Fan Pu

　　Department of the SPECIAL CLASS GIFTED for YOUTHS

　　University of Science and Technology

　　Hefei, Anhui 230026, P.R. China

　　July 1, 1998

　　Dear Sir or Madam:

　　I take great pleasure in recommending Wang Yong, one of my favorite students, for admission into your distinguished graduate program.

　　Mr. Wang was admitted in 1986 at 14 years of age into the SPECIAL CLASS for the GIFTED YOUTHS, my university's unique program that caters to the intellectual needs of unusually talented Chinese youngsters. It was a rare privilege he earned with his nearly impeccable academic performance through the years of his elementary and secondary school.

　　He impressed me almost as he entered into my university, a major cradle of china's scientific and technological talents. At the time, members of the Gifted Class all had to spend half a month studying by themselves the principles of calculus and then take an exam so that we could evaluate their self-study capability. Mr. Wang scored the highest grade in that exam. He also exhibited a keenly whetted mind during class discussions. To my regret at the time, his English was not as good as his mathematics or physics. But I noticed he made a point of working especially hard in improving his English during his five undergraduate years with us. By now, he seems to be at least as proficient in English as most of his former classmates in the Gifted Class.

　　In my experience with Mr. Wang, I was impressed with not only his extraordinary intelligence but also his ambitions and persistence. I am sure that Mr. Wang will be an outstanding student in any doctoral program that he may care to enroll in. So I would like to support him firmly in his quest recommendation into account when considering his application. I would greatly appreciate it you decide to accept him as he wishes.

　　Yours sincerely

　　Fan Pu

　　Professor and Deputy Head