For Recommenders
Writing a great recommendation letter takes time, and our selection committee is grateful for these letters.
Please be sure you have submitted your reference online by November 1, as each candidate must have two letters of reference on file by this date. Your recommendation will be matched to the candidate file immediately, and the candidate can see the date and time you submitted the recommendation.
People who know the candidate well and can provide information about the candidate relative to the selection criteria should complete recommendations.
Nuts and Bolts
- Recommenders receive an email with a link to an online recommendation form. Let the candidate know if you did not receive this email.
- Use Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome as your web browser (not Safari).
- The online form asks recommenders to rate a candidate on several criteria and then to upload a letter of support.
- You may save your work and return to the link as often as you like before you submit the final recommendation.
- Submit your recommendation before November 1, if possible, to avoid computer problems.
- Consider composing your letter offline, for example in Microsoft Word, and save it as a file. Letters are uploaded directly from a file, NOT typed into an Internet form.
Content
- Indicate how you know the candidate in the first paragraph.
- Use 3-5 paragraphs to provide examples of how the candidate meets one or more of the Park Scholarships selection criteria.
- Include descriptions about the student's skills and unique attributes or activities.
- Indicate the areas in which the candidate needs to develop.
- Avoid summarizing students' resumes in narrative form - evaluators can read these details in the students' applications.
- Address known problems about students forthrightly, e.g. a low grade or excessive absences, so an evaluator will not be wondering about what may be perfectly explainable circumstances such as an illness.
Troubleshooting
- If you do not receive the email with the online recommendation link, then check your spam filter for an email from park_scholars@ncsu.edu or ask the candidate to resend the email.
- If you are having trouble with the online form be sure you are using one of these web browsers: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.