LOR for Canada Guidelines: Universities, Samples, Tips & Requirements

Writing an LOR for Canada? We’ve got you covered! Through this article, we will go through the essential guidelines and tips to create an impactful LOR for Canadian universities. However, before we begin, it is crucial to know the LOR full form, and understand the significance of a recommendation letter for Canada.

A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) that you send to the university should certify and assess your candidature by those who have reviewed you or your abilities in a professional or academic atmosphere. Thus, in most cases, your professors, project mentors, or managers/supervisors would be writing your recommendation letter for Canada. Through the LOR for masters in Canada, your recommenders can talk about your aptitude for the subject that you are applying for, your achievements and their general impression of you as a prospective student. The LOR for Canada study visa can also discuss relevant project work, personal qualities and academic traits demonstrated throughout your association with the recommender.

An LOR for Canada should provide information about your skills, academic records, talents, certifications, etc. to the admission department of the university. Top Canadian universities are very specific about application documents like LOR, Resume, Essays or SOP. Thus, it plays a crucial role in highlighting your profile in front of the admission committee as it is one of the five things that universities look for in a potential candidate.

How many LORs are required for Canadian universities?

Now that we have answered the question ‘do Canadian universities require letters of recommendation’, let us have a look at how many types of LORs are usually required for admission. As per the program and course, applicants are required to submit either academic or professional LORs or a combination of both. An academic LOR is essentially sourced from a school teacher, principal, counsellor, college professor or Dean. On the other hand, a professional LOR for Canada may be issued by a supervisor, manager, or team leader.

You can find more information about the LOR format for Canada here – Academic LOR – Professional LOR. For Bachelor programs, academic LORs are required. If applicants have any internship or any kind of practical experience, then they may submit one professional LOR as well. Many universities in Canada require at least three LORs, while some may ask for just one or two. Given below are some top Canadian universities and their general LOR requirements.

Note: The LORs requirement may differ for these universities for professional courses.

LOR Sample for Canada or Canadian Universities

In general, the LOR or LORs should state positive information about the applicant. These include aspects like personality traits, achievements, contributions, and abilities that make the applicant a suitable candidate for the chosen program or course. Most Canadian universities require at least two LORs for Canada Master’s programs and one or no LOR for Canada Bachelor’s programs.

For reference purposes, let us look at LOR samples for masters in Canada, where a student is applying for an MBA program, and the LOR is issued by his college professor.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION SAMPLE

“I am delighted to recommend ABC for the MBA program in XXXX at your renowned institution. As the DESIGNATION of DEPARTMENT in UNIVERSITY, CITY, I have been acquainted with the applicant for the past _______ years. During this time, I taught him/her the subjects, ________________ and _________, in the ____and ______ semesters, respectively. I first met him when we organised an orientation for the new batch of students in YYYY. However, it was only in the year, YYYY that I was able to interact with him directly. All these years, ABC has proved to be a dedicated and motivated student, with a clear goal in mind.

ABC was always exceptionally good in my subject, _______________, which is ably demonstrated by his marks. He scored the highest grade, ____, in his final examinations. Furthermore, he was also an active participant in class discussions and always came up with cogent arguments. One such discussion that comes to my mind was on the topic, _________________, where he spoke about ___________________. (Cite an example to justify your claim).

In the final year, the students were given a choice of submitting either a research-based project or a case study. ABC opted to do the research project along with ____ other members. During this time, I got the chance to observe his teamwork and motivational skills. (Support with an instance).

Apart from academics, ABC was actively involved in various inter and intra-college events, such as ______________________. Additionally, he was the president of the organizing committee and the student council. His responsibilities involved ________________________. It was a delight to see ABC working with students from different departments in such harmony. His leadership skills came to light, when, during an event on ____________, there was a technical snag and ………. (Give some example to support your claims).

ABC has always been clear about his career goals. We would often discuss about the opportunities available in this field. With three years of work experience under his belt, now he has informed me that he plans to pursue MBA so that his future goals of ____________________ can be fulfilled. In view of his background and demonstrated skills, I strongly recommend ABC for your graduate program. I believe that he would be an invaluable addition to your esteemed university.

Yours sincerely,

Full Name of the Recommender

Designation, Department

College/University, City

Contact No: 91-XXXXX-XXXXX

Email ID: XXXXXXXX@XXXXXX.XXX”

Important Tips for LOR Writing

While drafting your LOR for Canada, keep a note of the type of universities/colleges and the course module content of the program you are applying for, as the content will solely revolve around these points. If you are getting professional LORs, then it is advisable to get the LORs from your most recent workplace. The LORs should be printed on the university/ college or company’s official letterhead. It should be sealed by the respective department/ firm, or have the university/ firm official stamp along with the recommender’s signature. Some universities may allow digital signatures, as well, if the LORs need to be submitted via an online form.

Read: LOR Writing Tips

In the letter of recommendation for Canada student visa, the recommender’s designation and relation with the applicant must be clearly described. How does the recommender know the applicant? In what capacity? How many years have they known each other? How or when did they interact and over what topic? These aspects should be clearly covered in the introduction of the LOR for Canada. The rest of the LOR body should contain positive observations about the applicant in 2-3 paragraphs.

Bring out the positive qualities and attributes in the applicant with the help of proper instances that serve as examples. Merely stating an attribute will not help the applicant’s profile. In the end, the recommender’s complete contact details should be mentioned such as full name, designation, department, institution, city, contact number and email ID, and the institution’s web address (if applicable). It should be noted that some universities may contact the recommenders directly for a reference as well. In such cases, the applicant should inform the recommenders well in advance. For any doubts or queries, drop a comment below and we will help you accordingly!