Education Applications

Letter To Recommender – Dental School Applicant

Although this one is related to a recommendation letter, the sample below isn’t exactly a letter of recommendation. Rather, it is a real-life sample of a type of letter that is often sent to someone who has agreed to write a recommendation letter on your behalf. It both formalizes the agreement between you and the recommender, while also supplying them with specific background information to assist them when writing the recommendation letter. College professors often require a letter like this before they write a recommendation letter.

(print Recommendation Letter on personal letterhead paper) 375 Highplains St., No. 5
Albuquerque, NM 87120

June 5, 20xx
Professor Andrew Reardon, PhD
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Dear Professor Reardon:

Thank you very much for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation in support of my applications to dental schools. The purpose of this letter is to give you some background information about me and to transmit to you some support documents that you will need.

As I mentioned to you, I am currently in the process of applying for dental school. I have found that the material that you covered in your course is excellent preparation for the upper-division biology courses.

Most notably, the Bio210A lab class has steered my interest towards biology and helped me in my work as a research assistant at the UNM Langstaff Biomedical Research facility. Between work and volunteering I have managed to maintain good academic standing, graduating this year with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

My passion for science and my belief in the importance of health care are the main factors that have motivated me to want to become a health care provider. However, my desire to pursue a career as a dentist stemmed primarily from my own personal experiences. Having gone through many extensive dental treatments myself, I have become well aware of the significance of dentistry in the healthcare spectrum and believe that there is a need to educate others about the necessity of good dental care through outreach.

During the past year, I volunteered as a dental assistant and X-ray technician for the UNM Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, and I also worked at the dental office in Alta Monte. Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to volunteer with the Wishes Become Smiles Foundation in Ensenada, Mexico, which specializes in cleft palate reconstruction, orthodontic treatment, and provides general dental care for the under-served population of Baja California. Through these experiences I have realized that research and clinical outreach can significantly reduce the burden of dental-related diseases. At the same time, I have learned that education about good dental hygiene can improve people’s oral health and overall well-being. As a member of the UNM Pre-Dental Society, I am proud to be the Dental Health Education Coordinator, where I hope to continue my duties in community outreach and health education.

Once again, I very much appreciate you taking the time to write this letter of recommendation on my behalf. I am targeting June 30th to make my submissions to dental schools, so I will need the letter before that date. I have provided an envelope for you to mail the letter directly to the UNM Career Services Center if you wish. However, I would prefer to pick up the sealed letter from you so that I can thank you in person.

If there is any additional information that you need, please don’t hesitate to contact me via phone at xxx-xxx-xxxx or by email at xxxxxxxxxx. Your support means a great deal to me!

Yours sincerely,

Kara Tan

Attach:

Letter of Application

Most letters of application, or application letters, are in response to job ads. The real-life sample letter of application below is typical for a medical position. The important thing is to make sure your letter doesn’t just repeat the exact same info that is already included in your attached resume/cv.

(print personal Letter of Application on personal stationery)
457 W. Pine Ave.
Oregon, Il, 61061

December 5, 20xx
Dr. Daniel Drummond
Head – Patient Care Services
Newark General Hospital
1540 Broad St.
Newark, NJ 07101

Dear Dr. Drummond:

This is in response to your recent advertisement for the position of Hospitalist at your institution.

I believe that my training in the busy Memorial Hospital in New York makes me an ideal candidate for that position. It has given me rich and multi-faceted experience in providing health care to patients from all walks of life. Through this experience, I have developed a keen interest in acute care and have grown comfortable in an acute care setting.

Should I be fortunate enough to join your institution, I believe that my growth as a physician will continue as I work hard to become an integral member of your dynamic team. In that role I would expect to continue learning about providing quality health care equally to all individuals – a principle that is one of my paramount beliefs. As well, I would look forward to both the professional and personal growth that will come from being an active member of a dynamic institution like yours and a part of the community that you serve.

My residency training in internal medicine during my years at Memorial Hospital, have allowed me to better understand the needs of patients from various cultures and different ethnic backgrounds. It has also given me valuable experience in dealing with the many challenges that one faces on a daily basis in a hospital environment including: admitting patients in the emergency room, working long hours in the wards, looking after critically ill patients in the ICU, among other such activities. I believe that this kind of experience positions me ideally to provide a high standard of medical care to the patients in your institution.

I very much look forward to having the opportunity to work with you and serving in your community. Please do not hesitate to contact me at xxx-xxxx to arrange for an interview. Enclosed, you will find my resume listing my education, experience and background in more detail.

Sincerely,

Allison D. Grainger, MD

Encl. – resume

Reference Letter Sample – College Graduate Program

A letter of reference, or reference letter, for admission to a college program is usually written as a general multi-purpose form letter, in the sense that it does not address any particular individual or program. Unlike specific-purpose recommendation letters, college reference letters are typically used verbatim to apply to a number of different programs at various institutions. The example reference letter below was used by a student to apply to a number of different graduate programs.

(print Reference Letter on corporate letterhead stationery) May 5, 20xx [Recipient address- Line 1]
[Recipient address- Line 2]
[Recipient address- Line 3]
[Recipient address- Line 4]

Dear Admissions Officer:

Letter of Reference – Jeanine Chambers
I am writing this letter of reference at the request of Jeanine Chambers who is applying for your graduate program in Educational Studies. She has asked me to provide this general letter that she may show to any prospective graduate school to which she may apply.

This letter is written on a confidential basis and therefore should be shared only with individuals in your school/program who are directly involved in the selection process. In addition, this letter should not be shown to Jeanine Chambers who has waived the right to see the letter.

I have known Jeanine Chambers as an undergraduate student for the past two years. During that time she was a student in three of my courses: Media, Technology and Computers and Education. These were both small third year classes so I was able to get a good look at Jeanine’s performance and capabilities. Number one, she is an excellent communicator, both orally and in writing. Her papers and presentations were without exception, excellent. Her grade point average of 3.87 (4.0) for the two courses reflects her dedication to excellence. I was always impressed by her depth of research and she surprised me a number of times by taking an innovative and thought provoking look at generally accepted standards and norms. She wrote a wonderful paper on “Education and the Fear of Technology” which I suggest you read if you ever get the chance.

Jeanine was an active participant in class discussions and was convincing in making her points. If she has one Achilles heel it is her tendency to be somewhat impatient, bordering on intolerant, at times with the points of view proffered by some of her less capable peers. Although to be fair, she was often reacting to poor research and/or preparation on the part of the peer.

Based on my association with Jeanine Chambers, I believe that she would be a welcome addition to any graduate program in Pedagogical Studies, particularly if there is a strong research component.

Yours collegially,

Barbara Miller, Ph.D.
Department Head, Secondary Education

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