For Recommenders

The Beinecke Scholarship is for current juniors who have a history of need-based financial aid and are planning to pursue graduate studies in the humanities or social sciences. The application requires three recommendations, all of which should speak to the applicant's potential for graduate work in their proposed discipline. 

Best practice for these recommendations:

• Two-three pages single-spaced
• On letterhead with a signature (digital or otherwise)
• Addressed to the "Beinecke Scholarship review committee"

The Beinecke committee expects to see the same type (tone, content, length) of letter that you would submit for the applicant's graduate applications. Of the three recommendations, they expect at least two of them to be exceptionally detailed, as though you are writing about a PhD applicant. 

All Beinecke recommendations are submitted to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline each year. We then submit them on your behalf for the endorsed applicant. 

The Churchill Scholarship funds a one-year graduate program at Cambridge University (UK). Most approved programs are STEM research masters. The applications require four recommendations, all of which must speak to the applicant's suitability for their proposed research (including past research, publications and/or presentations, and performance in related STEM coursework). 

Best practice for these recommendations:

• On letterhead with a signature (digital or otherwise)
• No word limit on recommendations, so detail and specificity is important
• Should directly address the applicant's research and academic achievements and their fit for the proposed research

All Churchill recommendations must be submitted to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline. Once endorsement decisions have been made, we will let you know. Endorsed applicants add recommender information to their portal, at which point you will receive an email link to upload your letter to the application. 

The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarships are awarded for graduate study and research visits to universities and other research institutions in Germany. Applicants for graduate study can receive up to two years of funding; applicants for research receive 7-12 months of funding.

Current seniors and recent alumni are eligible for the study grants regardless of citizenship; only current PhD students and postdocs can apply for the research grants. Applicants must be interviewed and endorsed by the College.

Applicants are required to include one recent recommendation from a faculty member as part of their application. The recommendation form will be sent to you by the applicant as a "writable" PDF. After completing the recommendation form, you'll send it back to the applicant for them to upload as part of their application.

The form asks questions similar to the following:

• How does the applicant stand out in academic terms and how would you assess their potential? 
• How does the applicant stand out in personal terms and how would you assess their potential?
• How would you assess the preparation, feasibility, relevance, and schedule of the proposed course of study or research?
• Of what significance is the aspired scholarship to the applicant's academic and/or professional career? 

DAAD recommendations are submitted directly to the DAAD portal by the applicant and do not need to be sent to the Fellowships Office in advance. However, if recommenders have questions or would appreciate advice, we are happy to have those conversations.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Programs (ETA) place recipients in classrooms abroad to serve as cultural ambassadors while they assist local English Language teachers. The age and academic level of the students varies by country from kindergarten to university level. ETA programs vary drastically based on both the selected country and program, but they typically last one year.

The Fulbright ETA application requires three recommendations, which are submitted via a form with five questions. Recommenders will be emailed a link from the Fulbright website to submit the form. Here is an example of the Fulbright recommendation form.

Recommenders should be able to speak to:

• The applicant's ability to carry out the proposed program
• The applicant's ability to adapt to the host country and engage with the local community
• The applicant's ability to represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador
• The impact that the Fulbright ETA would have on the applicant academically, personally, and/or professionally
• The applicant's ability to teach English in a classroom setting, based on their intellectual and professional preparation

Additional information and guidance can be found on the Fulbright website's page for ETA recommendation writers.

Fulbright recommendations are submitted directly to the Fulbright site and do not need to be sent to the Fellowships Office in advance of the campus deadline. However, if recommenders have questions or would appreciate advice, we are happy to have those conversations.

The Fulbright Open Study/Research Award (SR) facilitates graduate study or research in countries outside of the US. All recipients have an affiliation, either with a university or with a research mentor. Information about specific Fulbright SR awards can be found on the Fulbright website.

The Fulbright SR application requires three recommendations, which are uploaded via an emailed link to the online Fulbright application system.

Fulbright SR Recommenders should be able to speak to:

• The applicant's ability to carry out the proposed study or project, including the feasibility of the research and the student's preparation
• The applicant's ability to adapt to the host country and engage with the local community
• The applicant's ability to represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador
• The impact that the Fulbright SR award would have on the applicant academically, personally, and/or professionally

Requirements for Fulbright SR recommendations:

• Letters must be on institutional letterhead
• Letters must be signed by the author[s] (digital signatures are acceptable)
• Letters must remain confidential
• Letters must be written in English

Additional information and guidance can be found on the Fulbright website's page for SR recommendation writers.

Fulbright recommendations are submitted directly to the Fulbright site and do not need to be sent to the Fellowships Office in advance of the campus deadline. However, if recommenders have questions or would appreciate advice, we are happy to have those conversations.

The Marshall Scholarship funds two years (and sometimes longer) at a university or universities in the UK. Candidates can propose one two-year program, one longer program (such as a PhD/DPhil), or two one-year programs. In exceptional cases, when students have existing obligations (e.g., deferred admission to medical or law school), they can apply for a one-year Marshall to do a one-year degree. The application requires three recommendations. The first two must be from academics; the third must speak either to leadership or "ambassadorial qualities." All letters should, if possible, speak to the three Marshall criteria: academic excellence, leadership, and ambassadorial qualities (i.e., the commitment to engaging with communities in the UK, both intellectually and interpersonally). 

Best practice for these recommendations:

• 1000 words (the Marshall limit), including any salutations or signatures. You do not need to include your address or other contact information anywhere in the letter, since it will be available elsewhere in the application. There is no way to provide a digital signature beyond typing out your name. 
• Should contextualize the applicant's academic skills and relate them to their potential to have a positive impact, including in the UK
• Academic letters should explain how the applicant is adequately prepared for their proposed course of study

All Marshall recommendations must be submitted to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline and can be submitted without letterhead. For endorsed applicants, we can either submit the recommendations on your behalf -- the content is cut/pasted into a text box in the application -- or you can do so yourself.

The Rhodes Scholarship funds two years (and sometimes longer) at Oxford University (UK). Applicants must apply through their "home" constituency, which is most often based on citizenship. The number of required recommendations depends on the constituency. US applicants must submit a minimum of four academic recommendations (faculty members who have taught them and given them a grade) and two character recommendations (e.g., mentors, supervisors, research advisors, faith leaders, coaches, community members, etc.) US applicants are able to submit up to eight total recommendations. 

The Rhodes review committees place great weight on recommendations. Strong recommendations reaffirm what the applicant is saying about themselves but also include additional details, context, and information that the applicant does not have space to include in their essays. All letters should speak as fully as possible to the Rhodes criteria, based on the recommender's knowledge of the applicant: academic excellence; energy to use one's talents to the fullest (in the arts, athletics, debate, public service, etc.); truth, courage, and devotion to duty; and moral force of character and instincts to lead. 

Best practice for these recommendations:

• Submitted on letterhead, with a digital signature.
• Maximum of two pages, single-spaced and in ten-point font. 
• Addressed to the "Rhodes Scholarship selection committee" 

For US and Canadian applicants, who require College endorsement, all Rhodes recommendations must be submitted to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline. Once decisions have been made about endorsement, we will let you know. If you are writing for an endorsed applicant, you will be sent a link directly from the Rhodes application to upload your letter. 

For all other constituencies, there is no campus endorsement process. You will submit your letter directly to the Rhodes application via a link emailed to you. 

Rhodes final recommendation deadlines vary by constituency. 

The Yenching Academy offers the opportunity to pursue a two-year Master's program at Peking University in China. Applicants select from one of the available disciplinary strands: Literature and Culture, History and Archeology, Philosophy and Religion, Politics and International Relations, Economics and Mathematics, and Law and Society. 

Applicants are required to include two academic letters of recommendation with their application materials. The recommendations should speak to the applicant's achievements, character, and potential. These letters must be written by tenured faculty members in the applicant's intended field of study.

Letters of recommendation must also be:

• Written on official/institutional letterhead
• Signed
• Saved in PDF format

In addition to the letter of recommendation, recommenders need to complete the Yenching Form and add it to their recommendation. All Dartmouth applicants are required to apply and be endorsed by Dartmouth. The Dartmouth internal deadline is November 15th. Please send your letter of recommendation and your recommendation form to fellowships.office@dartmouth.edu.

After Dartmouth's Committee on Graduate Fellowships reviews the applications and notifies applicants of their endorsement status, the Fellowships Office submits the letters of recommendation directly to the Yenching Academy.