Before I start critiquing the LORs I would like to thank the students for having agreed to

share their LORs. When I critiqued these LORs I mostly did so on general aspects and

not from grammatical standpoint.

An ideal LOR should have the following attributes a) should be written by a prof. with

strong publication record, b) ideally it would be good if the prof. can judge research

capabilities of the student, c) should be well balanced, not necessarily talk about the good

things about the student but shortcomings too and how the student has overcome such

shortcomings and d) specific examples would be very useful and make the LOR stronger.

Letter 1.

General critique: 1. Very short. 2. Immediately comes off as a LOR written by the

student. 3. Other comments below.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

It is a pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Mr. Abhishek Samanta. I

have known Abhishek since 2004. I have instructed him in Computer Oriented Numerical

Methods. During the course of his studies, he came across as a sincere and hardworking

student. This was evident by the effort that he put into his work assignments.

I noticed that he has an inquisitive bent of mind from the queries he raised during

lecture sessions. This trait of him, coupled with good analytical skills, also helped him

achieve good results in his work assignments. He has always participated in class

activities with zeal and has always been forthcoming with answers to questions raised by

me during the lecture sessions.

His final year project (Wireless Sensor Network) was under my guidance. While

discussing the concepts of his project work he has been very impressive. He has shown

excellent capability to understand technical papers, implement those ideas and work

indefatigably on the modules undertaken thus far.

He has a thirst for knowledge and Im sure that he will continue his quest with undying vigor. I wish him the best in his efforts at acquiring a Doctoral Degree and I

strongly recommend him for graduate studies and deserving financial assistance .

Letter 2.

General critiques: 1. Better written than the former letter. 2. More in comments.

To whom it may concern

It gives me immense pleasure in recommending Arijit Banerjee for the graduate

program at your University. I have known Arijit for 4 years ( 2003-2007) in my capacity

Comment [R1]: The prof usually should start with a brief description about himself/herself.

Comment [R2]: So did the student do well in that class?

Comment [R3]: Ideally, the prof should provide specific examples which should tell the reader that the student had a lasting impression in the teachers mind. Off course not all students can do that but

again, I said ideally..

Comment [R4]: You would expect your project advisor to make a discussion on the project work

rather than loosely speak about it!!!

as a professor at the department of computer science at Jadavpur University and been his

teacher in a course on Numerical Methods and his supervisor in three laboratory project works on Programming Languages, Electronics Lab and Design Lab I.

Arijit came to our University after completing high school from a very highly

reputed institution of our country and with excellent academic records. He did justice to

his academic background by performing exceedingly well throughout the four years of

undergraduate study and secured 3rd

rank in a class of 60 students. He has a good in-

depth understanding of Computer Science fundamentals and been one of the most

enthusiastic students when it came to learning new things and apply them practically. He

was always very eager to know about the latest development in his field of study.

He was very motivated and energetic about his project works and put in a lot of

effort in their implementation. He liked to experiment with the technologies and applied a

lot of research and insight to make his work perfect. His passion and dedication to the

work motivated his teammates too and as a supervisor I can testify that he has done some

commendable and praiseworthy research projects.

Arijit has always been a jovial person who has high regards for the elderly ones

and is loved by all because of his nature. He was also the class representative of his batch

and being the HOD for two years I had close interactions with him which reminds me of

his great communication and inter-personal skills. He is fluent in both oral and spoken

English

According to me, Arijits depth of knowledge in Computer Science, his enthusiasm to know the unknown, self-initiative nature, sense of responsibility and

perseverance make him a ideal candidate for any high level research program. He has all

the ingredients to become a successful researcher. I recommend him strongly for

admission in your department for graduate study with full financial support.

(Mita Nasipuri)

Yours sincerely,

Mita Nasipuri

Professor,

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Jadavpur University.

Letter 3.

General critique: This letter is almost similar to letter # 1 and has similar

shortcomings.

Letter of Recommendation

Comment [R5]: Good to choose someone who knows the student so well. Again like in letter 1,

there should be 1 or 2 standout/specific examples.

Comment [R6]: This is a good way to start the 2nd paragraph.

Comment [R7]: New para should not start with He.

Comment [R8]: Specific examples may help a lot!

Comment [R9]: Nicely written.

Comment [R10]: It is a good thing to talk about the general personality traits as well.

Comment [R11]: Not necessary to mention this.

It is a great pleasure to recommend Dhrubajyoti Saha for graduate studies. He is

known to me since 2004 as an Undergraduate student in Department of Computer

Science & Engineering. I taught him Computer Oriented Numerical Methods and guided

him in Programming Practice II Laboratory (related to the corresponding theory paper

Numerical Methods), which I conducted. It is then that I have had a chance to observe

him closely.

During his final year project, under my guidance, on Middleware for Wireless

Sensor Networks, he has shown great proficiency in understanding and implementing

technical papers, as well as coming up with new ideas. This has convinced me that he is

very genuine in pursuit of his academic excellence.

Dhrubajyoti exhibits a high degree of initiative in continuously striving to update

his knowledge. He tries to ensure that his concepts on various topics to be very clear and

therefore, he is an active participant in classroom. He is regular in completing his

programming assignments, and his assignments are among the best in the class. Besides

doing so well in academics, Dhrubajyoti has been involved in various co-curricular

activities. Dhrubajyoti is capable of coping with a lot of hard work, which is essential for

higher academic attainments, and this, along with his superior intellectual ability, makes

him an ideal candidate for doctoral studies. He is a pleasant and well-mannered

individual with high moral and social values.

I wish him success in his future endeavours and strongly recommend him for admission

in your university.

Yours truly,

Mita Nasipuri

Professor

Computer Science and Engineering Dept.

Jadavpur University.

Letter 4.

General critique: 1. This is a non-research related LOR since the advisor was not in

a position to guide the student in a project. In such a case it makes more sense to

take a LOR from a prof who has taught several courses not just two. 2. Further, it

would be nice if the prof could quantitatively justify the performance of the students

in all the classes.

Letter of Recommendation

It gives me pleasure in writing a letter of reference for my student Ms. Neha Sherpa. I

have taught her Computer Orientation Numerical Methods and guided her in

Programming Practice II Laboratory (related to the corresponding theory paper

Comment [R12]: Very generic statement. More specific statements about the student would help!

Comment [R13]: Actually perseverance is more essential than hard work but that is in my opinion.

Numerical Methods), which I conducted. It is then that I have had a chance to observe her

performance closely.

During this interaction, I have observed that her work is very disciplined and meritorious.

She is a capable and meticulous student, with keen interest in collecting information in

relevant fields and latest development in technologies and specifically towards the field

of Computer Science. She makes sure that she fully understands the basics and applies

these concepts to more challenging problems. She has approached me in addition to the

classroom sessions to clear her doubts, which only proves her interest and eagerness to

assimilate knowledge and towards her subject. She is a good learner and can grasp new

topics readily. I am confident that she will be a promising and competitive student

accomplishing any responsibility she undertakes.

She is an amicable individual who gets along equally well with her faculty and fellow

students.

Along with her intellectual abilities she has excellent communication skills. I found her to

be proficient in English being able to convey her ideas lucidly and with great ease. Her

courteous and lively nature makes it a pleasure to interact with her.

I am sure she will do extremely well in graduate study and in my opinion she will prove

to be a good research assistant. Based on her strong undergraduate preparation and

considering her flair for research along with her effective communication skills, I

recommend her for graduate program at your esteemed university with maximum

financial aid.

Mita Nasipuri

Letter 5.

General critique: 1. This letter is better than letter 1 and 3 because it talks about the

students achievements in glorious terms. 2. However, specific examples are again lacking. 3. It would also be nice if the prof could have judged the students research capabilities.

Dr. Mita Nasipuri

Professor , Dept. of CSE

Jadavpur University

To Whom It May Concern:

I gladly recommend Debarshi Roy for the Graduate Program in Computer Science at

your university. He is truly an outstanding student and has immense potential for research

work.

I have known him as an undergraduate student of Computer Science & Engineering

course for the 4 years of his study in our institution. He has since then maintained a

steady contact with me. He has proved himself as a student with a perfect blend of

subject knowledge, hard work and discipline. His ability to utilize his unique and

independent thoughts in complex problem solving speaks for his intellectual brilliance

Comment [R14]: This is a good specific example. Not great but ok-ishly good example.

Comment [R15]: I dont think there are convincing arguments in this LOR for the prof to reach this conclusion.

and creativity. His thirst for pure knowledge beyond the syllabus is one of the most

remarkable qualities that make him one of the best students seen in my career so far. He

gives vent to resourceful and witty ideas in the classes which truly depict his intuitive

mind.

He was my student for the course Computer Oriented Numerical Methods and laboratory courses Programming Practice II and Design I. He has secured high grades in all the courses under my supervision. He has consistently performed well and

ranked among the best students in the class. I have always been impressed with his

attentiveness in class. In the laboratory, too his enthusiastic approach towards solving

assignment problems deserves praise. He has always produced the finest work within

time.

I appreciate his motivation for research and pursuing a PhD after 2 years of industrial

experience as a developer at Adobe Systems India. According to me, he has chosen an

appropriate career goal, because with his diligence and intelligence, he can definitely

contribute to the subject of his choice.

It is only by attending a graduate study program at a reputed institution that Debarshi can

accomplish his career goals. Therefore, I would strongly recommend your university to

grant him admission to the program, and thereby do justice to his immense academic

potential.

Sincerely,

Mita Nasipuri

LORs critiqued by Suvajyoti Guha