导语：推荐信的份量直接关系到能否出国留学，能否获得奖学金等，作为对外联系的材料，是其中一份较为重要的文件。推荐信的目的是通过国内专家向对方介绍申请人的工作、学习和专业方向等情况。在出国申请是否成功的诸多要素中，有力的推荐信是录取的重要条件之一，其份量仅次于于本科成绩单和标准化考试（GRE、GMAT、TOEFL）成绩。
多数学校都要求申请人提交两封到三封的推荐信，由教授、系主任或工作主管直接寄给指定的单位。
一、选择推荐人
推荐信是了解申请人的重要依据，在研究生课程中尤其如此。申请人可以选择现在或以前的老师、教授或雇主。推荐人必须熟悉学生的学习情况，了解学生的学习目的是否明确，在学术上是否有前途，以及学生的适应能力、创造能力、品行和特长。
书写推荐信的最理想的人选是一封由系主任写，一封由专业课教授写，一封由自己的导师写。不过，对方若无规定，则除了自己的亲属之外，任何人皆可为推荐人。推荐人一般应具备高级技术职称，如教授、副教授、研究员、副研究员等。如果推荐人在国内外学术界享有盛誉，或者被申请就读学校聘为客座教授，或者曾经在该校讲过学，那么这样的推荐人写的推荐信就具有很强的效力了。
二、推荐信的内容
推荐信一般应包括下列内容：
被推荐人的基本情况介绍。侧重于个人的毕业时间、学校、所获学位以及个人的专业经历。
推荐人对被推荐人的基本评价。侧重于被推荐人的专业基础、个性、特点、工作态度和在学术上的前途估计。若是推荐研究生，推荐人还需进一步说明其深造学习的基础和当前所具备的研究能力。显然，恰如其分地评价被推荐人的'基础、能力和前途，比言过其实的赞誉更令人情服，更具有实际意义。
推荐人可以着重介绍被推荐人曾经获得的奖励，发表过的论文，参加过的重要学术会议，以及曾在学生组织或学术团体中的任职等来支持自己的评价。
推荐人还必须清楚地表明被推荐人留学的身份是研究生还是访问学者，专业领域和研究方向是什么。
如果大学提供了现成的推荐表格，则必须按这类表格认真逐项填写。推荐表格中一般有学生综合评估的一项，即要求推荐人说明该生在所教的学生中应列为前5％，10％，或25％等。这种评估是指教授的个人评价，可以稍高一点。另外，推荐表格上常有许多难以填写的项目，遇到这种情形可填"I don't know"，亦不致对该生的评价有何严重影响。
推荐信尾必须有推荐人的亲笔签名，最好直接由推荐人寄给学校招生办官员或申请就读学校的系主任。如果由被推荐人寄送，可将推荐信装入信封内封好后由推荐人在信封口处亲笔签名以示保密。信封正面注明"A Letter Of Recommendation"，表明这是一封推荐信。
推荐信样例 一（管理）
Dear Sir/Madam:
In the capacity of the former dean of "Dalian Management School" of Dalian University of Technology(DUT), I am writing with pleasure to recommend Mr. Cai to your esteemed university.
I got to know him personally when he was taking the course--Methodology of Management Research (or Methods of Management as stated in his transcripts), a course I taught, concerning basic research methods, especially quantitative approach to management research. Then he took one of my other courses--Advanced Strategic Management. Mr. Caleb showed great aptitude on both courses and he got 78 on both, which seem a bit lower, but if you take the difficulty of the test papers and my strict grading into account, you will understand why such scores are still among the top five. Undoubtedly, he got excellent scores on other courses and ranked among the top 5% of his class after the first year of graduate study.
To my knowledge, Mr. Cai is not only strong in academics, but also in sports and social activities. He was the captain of the soccer team of graduateschool of DUT and led the team to play in the soccer league of our university for two successive years. He was also one of the main founders of the first academic club--"Management Forum" of the "Dalian Management School" of DUT.
After I left DUT, he still keeps in touch with me from time to time and I am pleased to see that he proved his outstanding capability in both research and teaching position. Therefore I feel very delighted when he told me he would like to pursue his advanced studies in your honored program. I am confident that Mr. Caib will contribute greatly to your program as well as he did in the DUT. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need more information.
Truly, yours
XXX
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