How to Write a Letter of Reference for a Scholarship

As a teacher, I’ve been asked to write a lot of scholarship letters–often from kids that I’m barely familiar enough with to recognize their name and their general grade in my classroom. Writing a letter for a kid that I know and love isn’t too difficult.

Writing one for a student that I’ve barely taken note of over the course of the semester?

That’s harder. There are, however, a few things that I’ve learned that will make the process easier.

Ask the student for information about the scholarship. While you can write a generic one-time endorsement letter that can be used for multiple different sources, it’s more personal, and therefore more effective, to write a letter that is geared toward the specific scholarship. If you can, take a few minutes to research what the scholarship committee is looking for in terms of qualifications. Then, tailor your letter to reflect that.

Make it personal. Before you start, take a moment to think about what sets this student apart. Even the worst student in your class will have some defining characteristics that make them stand out from others in the classroom. You’ve noticed more than you think you have over the course of the semester, so take a moment to brainstorm those characteristics before you sit down to write.

Make sure you’re the right person for the job. There are a lot of students who don’t know who to ask when it comes time to write scholarship letters. As a result, they go straight to the teacher that they see next and ask them to write the letter. There are times when this isn’t their best choice. For example, a “C” student in English may excel in math–which means that his English teacher isn’t the best choice for writing a letter of recommendation for him. A letter will also look better if it comes from a teacher in the student’s preferred field, whether that’s the one they’re choosing to major in or the one that the scholarship most closely relates to.

Try not to use “filler“. Scholarship application committees know full well that teachers get in a rush and throw together generic recommendation letters that could be written about any student just to get the task over with. They know how to spot a letter that is a general acknowledgement of, “Yes, I had this student, and sure, you can have them” as opposed to a letter that is a fantastic endorsement of everything that the student has accomplished. Instead, try to write a personalized letter that’s based on who the student really is and the impact that they’ve had on your classroom.

Have you noticed that a particular student is very responsible, always turning his work in on time and working to help make your classroom a better place? Seen compassion and kindness in a student who is always willing to help a peer who is struggling? Those are much better things to write about than generic, “Johnny is very intelligent and a hard worker. He would be a joy to have in any program,” letters.

Writing a letter of reference for a scholarship won’t be intimidating if you remember to individualize it to the student, write for the students you know the best, and keep it real. Remember, your letter could be the difference between a student who gets the scholarship of his dreams and one who is ultimately disappointed, so put the same effort into it that you would want a student to put forth for you. Consider it an assignment of your own.