FREE 5+ Sample College Reference Letter Templates in PDF | MS Word

Getting admitted to college is a big dream for a lot of people. Applying for a college admission may seem like a very tedious process as you have to submit a ton of documents and requirements. Typically, one of the requirements is a reference letter.

If you are someone who has been tasked to write one or if you asked someone to write you one, the Sample Letters we have in this article will help you out in writing one. These samples have been drafted to have accurate designs, outlines, and formatting that is considered to be appropriate for college reference letters.

Sample College Reference Letter for Student

College Reference

College Scholarship Reference

The Difference between College Reference Letters and College Recommendation Letters

• One difference between the two letters is the sending process. For a reference letter, the writing party usually just gives it to the requesting party to use as future use. A recommendation letter is directly sent to the employer, board director, or the college/university.
• A recommendation letter is typically written in a more specific manner compared to a reference letter. It will elaborate the reason why the student is considered to be a good addition to the college/university. The skills and qualifications are explained in detail. Meanwhile, a reference letter will be written in a more general manner. It will mention the work ethics and some qualifications but necessarily explain them in detail.
• Choosing the right people to write your letter becomes a tedious task if you are not sure who to ask. For reference letters, you can choose to ask friends or colleagues, especially if it’s for character reference. However, for a recommendation letter, you must choose people who can specifically comment on your qualifications. For this case, a teacher would be a great choice.

 

To see more differences between the two, check out Recommendation Letter for High School Students and Reference Letters for Friend.

College Personal Reference

College Reference Letter from a Friend

College Reference

Character Reference Letters

A reliable character reference letter will help to make a difference in a student’s college application. The application forms and resume may give information about the achievements of the student but it may not give a good sense of his/her personality. Character Reference Letters from teachers or counselors will give the necessary insight needed to make the student’s application more solid and more appealing. While templates provide a good starting point for writing a good character reference letter, always remember that a personalized and customized one sounds more sincere.

What to Include in Reference Letters?

When writing a reference letter, one should always remember to be honest at all times.

• Before you start writing one, you should first do some research regarding the reasons why the student needs one as well as any deadline that must be met.
• Write the letter as soon as you receive the request to write one. Within a day or two upon receipt of a request is ideal.
• If by any chance you are not that familiar with the student but would still want to oblige in writing his/her reference letter, ask for background materials such as the application forms.