How to send LORs to Universities Abroad?

We have talked a lot about the importance of a letter of recommendation for your application abroad. While getting the format right is important, students also need to keep in mind the manner in which a Recommendation Letter (LOR) should be sent to universities abroad. This article lists out the basics of sending a Recommendation Letter to Universities Abroad.

Before we start, though, a student needs to understand that the mode of sending a LOR would essentially depend on the university you are applying to. Most universities have specifics about the manner in which they need a recommendation letter. However, in case they do not specify (for both online and offline submissions), there are some basics a student must always keep in mind. This is what we will now discuss, starting with the least common and moving to the most common communication sample of recommendation letters.

Read: Learn to write LORs with the help of videos by university experts

Online Form Submission

These are the easiest to submit and as the name suggests, these are online forms, which are to be submitted with the click of a button. Some universities provide the students’ listed recommenders with a login portal to log in to and answer a few questions about the student. While this form is the easiest to submit, it is often the trickiest recommendation letter format. What needs to be understood about this form is that sometimes a university may ask the recommender to attach the LOR in the right format. Hence, students are always advised to keep the written LORs ready and scanned.

E-Mail

Often universities require the Recommendation Letters to be sent to the university’s Admission Office, by the recommenders, from their official e-mail IDs. It is important to note that the recommender should be provided with the necessary application reference number to mark in the subject of the emails. Also, an official email ID is important, and in case, the recommender is unable to provide the same, we often advise the students to choose the right recommender, who can provide the same. In the strictest terms, generic email IDs are not accepted by universities. However, in very few cases, if the recommender can validate the use of the personal email ID, it may be accepted. Also, the recommendation letters, in this case, are scanned pdf files and should accord to the basic format of a LOR (complete on the letterhead with the stamp and signatures.)

Post

This continues to be a highly popular format. As the name suggests, this is the traditional postal system, wherein the recommendation letters are collected by the student, in sealed envelopes, and signed and stamped (though not necessarily in the official envelope but on the official letterheads). The students are required to send the recommendation letters, to the university, by courier, along with a cover letter that clearly mentions the course name, application number and all specifics of the recommenders. Please note that copies of recommendation letters are not acceptable and the student must have original recommendation letters for all universities. In case the student is applying to three universities that require the LORs by post, the student should ensure getting original LORs in triplicate to be sent to these universities.

In all the above manners of communication, confidentiality is of utmost importance. Hence, the recommender is either required to directly contact the university admission office, or the student must send the drafts in tamper-proof sealed envelopes.

Also Read

LOR for MBA	LORs for PhD
Sample LOR for MS	LOR Format from Faculty
Sample LOR for UG Courses	LOR from Supervisor

No matter how you send the recommendation letters (LOR), you would be informed by the university, about the mode and deadlines that should be complied with. At times, the university might just request you to provide the e-mail IDs of the recommenders and send the details directly to them. This, however, is rather limited and recommenders might be instructed to print the filled forms, and sign and seal them, before handing the same to the student for posting. The directive remains to follow the instructions but it is good to be informed of the various possibilities. Remember, choose your recommender carefully; you cannot go wrong with that.