'I was one of his master thesis defense committee member' - Letter of recommendation

veisec 1 / 1

Nov 8, 2014 #1

I write the recommendation letter on behalf of my professor.
Please help me to correct the grammar and provide your suggestion for revise.
I appreciate your help!
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To whom it may concern:
It is my pleasure to recommend xxxxx for the admission to the Ph.D program at your esteemed institution. I have known him for two years in the capacity of professor. As vice chairman of the Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics at the xxxxxx, I have obviously worked with many students over the years. Without doubt xxxxx possesses solid background knowledge and perseverance character to become a qualified PhD student.

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vangiespen - / 4077

Nov 8, 2014 #2

Hi, I tweaked your essay and came up with the following adjustments. I hope it meets your needs.

I highly recommend XXX as a candidate for the PhD program of your esteemed institution. Having worked with him over the past 2 years in my capacity as his professor, Vice-Chairman of the Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and master thesis defense committee member, I can assure you that he will make an excellent addition to your masteral study student roster.

XXX has the ability to work independently or collaboratively on design experiments. Providing valuable assistance and advice whenever needed. HIs abilities have, in my opinion, surpassed his peers and allowed him to develop at a far rapid pace intellectually as evidenced by his exemplary master thesis defense.

XXX possesses an eye for research and presentation skills. Pointing out certain aspects of projects during his thesis defense that one would not normally consider to be important or valuable as a result of his observation and experimentations. I admire him most for his eye for detail and accuracy in responses to questions posed before him.

XXX is a rare student whose ability to publish 2 academic papers in one year has offered him a brighter future in his chosen field. His combination of intelligence, commitment, perseverance and enthusiastic character will certainly make him a valuable member of the Ph.D program in your school. I encourage you to look favorably upon his application.

OP veisec 1 / 1

Nov 10, 2014 #3

I am grateful of your adjustment, your sentences are good and concise.
In the last sentence in paragraph 1, do you mean " he will make an excellent addition to your mastered study student roster"??
I revised my letter accordingly, please provide the advice to paragraph 3 if you have time, thank you very much

vangiespen - / 4077

Nov 10, 2014 #4

In the last sentence in paragraph 1, do you mean " he will make an excellent addition to your mastered study student roster"??

- Wayne, I mean exactly what I wrote, masteral degree. It is the correct term for a student taking up masters studies. Look it up :-) However, I noticed that this is for a PhD enrollment already so the term should not be masteral but instead Doctoral. So the sentence should read "He will make an excellent addition to your doctorate student roster." instead. Dcotorate is the correct term for a person taking up doctoral or PhD studies.

xxxxxxx has the ability to work independently or collaboratively on designing experiments. Providing valuable assistance and advice whenever needed. One of my PhD students often worked with Hsiao-Lun on testing and constructing the high-speed measurement system such as the VCSEL eye-diagram demonstration, photodiode bandwidth calibration, as well as the device scattering parameters analysis . Ultimately, Hsiao-Lun's ability surpassed his peers and he provided excellent and caring guidance to my graduate students. Just one example was his assistance on the GaN LED electrical and optical microwave analysis where he proposed an idea to build up corresponding compact model by extracting the device resistance and capacitance.

- Do not provide information in your recommendation that the student should be presenting himself in his application essays. Just talk about him in general terms. That is all that is required from you.

~~In short,~~ xxxxxxxx is a very rare student. (Not many students, for example, publish two academy papers in just one year.) His combination of intelligence, commitment, perseverance and enthusiastic character will certainly make him a valuable member of the Ph.D program in your school. I encourage you to look favorably upon his application.

- Sentence about his academic papers being published should not be in a parenthesis. This is a major part of his quality as a student and should be highlighted instead of an afterthought. Take out the parenthesis and discuss and overview of the topic he discussed in the published work and why it impressed you.