How to send LORs to Universities Abroad?

At this point of your study abroad journey, you must know the importance of a letter of recommendation or LOR. Firstly, following the perfect LOR format, and correct content is paramount. This we have discussed in a detailed way before but now you must know how to send your LORs to educational institutions abroad. This is what we will be discussing. Here, you will find the fundamental points of sending LORs to Universities Abroad.

Applying to universities abroad often requires submitting a Letter of Recommendation (LOR), which plays a crucial role in showcasing your qualifications and character. Knowing how to send these letters correctly is essential for ensuring that your application stands out. The process of sending LORs can vary significantly depending on the university's requirements and submission methods.

Let us first understand that the channel of sending your LORs for your applications to universities abroad depends on where you are applying. It essentially varies from university to university. Several institutions provide concrete requirements regarding recommendation letters. If you do not find any specificities mentioned by your choice of university, then there are certain points that you, as an applicant, need to follow. This is what we will now discuss, starting with the least common and moving to the most common communication sample of recommendation letters.

LORs meaning

Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are one of the crucial application documents that provide a strong base for the qualifications of the applicant, through the eyes of the recommender. In simple term, you should know that a Letter of Recommendation is a formal document written by someone who knows you well, such as a professor, employer, or mentor. It highlights your strengths, achievements, and suitability for the program you are applying to. A well-crafted LOR can significantly enhance your application by providing a third-party perspective on your capabilities.

Methods for Sending LORs

There are three primary methods for submitting LORs to universities abroad: online submission, email, and traditional postal mail. Each method has its own set of requirements and best practices.

Online Form Submission

This is the simplest way to submit your application LORs. The meaning lies in its name, and this is done with just one click. However, this way of submitting the letters can become the trickiest one as well. You will find universities that provide the applicant’s listed recommenders with a login portal to log in to and answer a few questions about the applicant. The tricky part is that there can be universities that demand a correctly formatted LOR from the recommender. Thus, applicants must always keep their LORs prepared, formatted properly, and scanned.

E-Mail

This is a common method of sending a Letter of Recommendation. Several universities ask for the LORs to be sent by the recommenders from their official e-mail to the university’s admissions office. Here, the recommender must write the correct application reference number in the e-mail’s subject line. Sending the LOR from an official email ID is mandatory. Thus, if your recommender cannot meet the requirement, it is advised to choose the right recommender who can do so. This is because the recommender needs to send the LORs from their official e-mail address only. Generic or personal e-mail addresses are not accepted by these universities.  However, if the recommender can provide justification regarding his/her usage of a personal e-mail address, then it might get accepted, though it is rare. Moreover, the LORs must be scanned, and in PDF files, following the correct LOR format, along with the letterhead, stamp, and signatures.

Best Practices:

• Inform your recommenders about the online submission process well in advance.
• Provide them with any specific guidelines or deadlines set by the university.

Post

Sending your LORs by post is a popular way. In this case, 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 applicants must send their LORs by courier, or by post, with important details such as the application number, details of the recommenders, and a cover letter having the particular university program’s name. Do not make copies of the LORs as they are not accepted by the Admissions Committee. This applies to all university applications. 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.

No matter how you send the LORs,  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.

It is strongly advised to select recommenders who meet all the requirements set by the universities you are applying to such as the recommender must send the LORs through his/her official e-mail address.

Best Practices:

• Confirm with your recommender that they understand these requirements before they send the email.
• Remind them to include all necessary details in their message.

Clear communication with your recommenders throughout this process will help you secure strong endorsements that enhance your application and increase your chances of admission.