LOR Full Form in Education - Letter of Recommendation

What is LOR full form in education for students? The full form of LOR is a Letter of Recommendation. It is one of the important documents for admission applications to universities abroad. It is a document that highlights an applicant’s skills, experience, character, and qualifications. LOR offers admission officers an insight into students' academic and personal achievements to help them assess their suitability for the university. Along with SOP, high GPA, and resumes, LOR is a crucial document. Applicants can request an LOR from a professor or an employer. It is important to offer a quality LOR that gives detailed insights into the candidate’s attributes and skills, as it helps them to have an edge over other applicants. Hence, LOR can majorly impact the candidate's admission decision. Read the article below to learn more about LOR full form, its types, how to write it, and more.

This Story also Contains

1. LOR Highlights
2. What is a LOR?
3. What is LOR Full Form?
4. How Many Types of Letter of Recommendation are there?
5. Why is LOR Important for Masters?
6. How to Write a Strong LOR?
7. Key Aspects to Follow in an LOR
8. How to Send LOR to Universities Abroad?

LOR Highlights

Also Read: Important Documents to Take For Studying Abroad

What is a LOR?

A LOR or letter of recommendation for studies abroad is a document in the admission application that demonstrates your personal and academic traits by someone who has supervised you. The person writing an LOR can be a professor, supervisor, mentor, guide, or manager who has worked with you before and knows you well. It also includes notable achievements and strengths of applicants.

What is LOR Full Form?

The LOR full form in education is a Letter of Recommendation. This is a document that recommends an applicant to the university for admission. This recommendation is made by someone who has professionally or academically worked with the applicant before. This can be either an immediate supervisor from a professional organisation of the student or a professor or a teacher from the university where the student has completed his/her bachelor's or high school.

How Many Types of Letter of Recommendation are there?

There are two types of LOR for studying abroad. These are:

• Academic LOR

• Professional LOR

1) Academic LOR

An academic LOR is a letter from an academic institution. This letter will include the applicant's academic experiences and skills. This means that the recommender is generally a professor, teacher, or head of the university where the student has completed his/her bachelor's. Some of the highlighted skills in an academic LOR are:

• Analytical research skills

• Teamwork skills

• Academic performance

• Awards and recognition

• Leadership ability

2) Professional LOR

A professional LOR is a letter that elaborates the applicant's work experience, skills and contributions at the workplace. This kind of letter is written by the immediate supervisor from a professional organisation of the student. It focuses on the candidate’s capabilities, such as team projects, client interactions, domain expertise, and many more. Some of the highlighted skills in a professional LOR are:

• Decision-making skills

• Management abilities

• Teamwork and leadership abilities

• Summary of job responsibilities

• Integrity and reliability

• Time management and multitasking

• Creative thinking and innovation

• Problem-solving skills

Why is LOR Important for Masters?

LOR is important for a Masters degree abroad due to various reasons such as:

• Validation of credibility: An LOR helps in verifying the authenticity of academic records, achievements, skills, interests, and talents that are presented to the admission authorities by the students.

• Personal Observation: As the one recommending has once supervised the candidate, he/she has accurate knowledge about whether or not an applicant is a right fit for the intended course of study or not.

• Stands out from other applicants: Presenting the university with a LOR helps international students stand out from other candidates applying for the same course. It adds a personal and qualitative dimension to their application.

• Competition edge: Providing exceptional and good letters of reference to universities helps students differentiate from the applicants. It enhances the overall quality of the application.

Also Check: LOR Format

How to Write a Strong LOR?

To write a perfect letter of recommendation, international students must understand the LOR format. Several aspects must be considered such as the following:

Step 1: Start by establishing a clear connection between the student and the recommender.

Step 2: Highlight the student’s strengths and qualities with specific examples or scenarios from the recommender’s experiences.

Step 3: Share a particular circumstance that highlighted the student’s soft skills or extracurricular activities.

Step 4: Add the candidate's improvement areas and how he or she worked on them to improve them.

Step 5: Conclude with a strong recommendation of the student.

Key Aspects to Follow in an LOR

While requesting an LOR, make sure that the document contains the following key aspects.

• An LOR is a recommendation from the recommender. Hence, the relationship should be clear and must highlight how the applicant knows the recommender and for how long.
• The letter of recommendation must highlight the relevant strengths, skills, and achievements, each with a suitable example.
• It is highly recommended that an LOR always include examples or anecdotes that showcase the applicant's skills.

• Follow the word limit for an LOR and keep it concise. LOR word limit is around 500 words and is limited to a one-page format.

• It must highlight the candidate’s eligibility, suitability, skills, talent, performance, and strengths.

• An LOR should be on the official letterhead. Make sure it is correctly signed and the contact information of the recommender is available.

• Before sending your LOR to the university, make sure to proofread it for any grammatical errors or changes.

Also Read:

• Statement of Purpose (SOP)

• How to Write SOP

How to Send LOR to Universities Abroad?

LOR is a crucial element of the application for international students as it helps to highlight the skills and strengths of the applicant from a third-person perspective. To send a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) to universities abroad, understand the university's requirements for LOR submission. Follow the steps below to submit an LOR.

• Step 1: Understand the University's Requirements on how to submit LORs, which include accepted formats.
• Step 2: Follow the submission deadline for LOR. This means that the recommender must have sufficient time to prepare and submit the LOR.
• Step 3: Submit the LOR through one of the accepted formats, which include online platforms, email, or postal mail.

Check with the university for the LOR requirements and how they prefer to receive it. Some universities may ask for a traditional letter of recommendation format, whereas the majority of universities have started accepting reference letters online through platforms such as Common Application, university portals, websites, etc.

Check out: College Admission Essay