A Brookie Guide to Writing a Letter of Recommendation
Image: Amy Huynh
You are reading this guide because you said yes to writing a recommendation letter to this awesome person that you know well, who is applying to the Brooke Owens Fellowship! So now what? Let’s get you started on how to help your awesome person #BecomeABrookie. In this guide, you will find information about the fellowship, the types of information we’re hoping to learn about the awesome applicant you know, some suggestions and guidelines for the content and structure of the letter, how to submit the letter, and a couple additional resources.
Download the .pdf version of this guide below, or continue reading on for the text version:
BACKGROUND FOR THE LETTER
The first thing you need to know before you start your letter is to understand the program your awesome person is applying to.
The Brooke Owens Fellowship honors the legacy of a beloved space industry pioneer and accomplished pilot, Dawn Brooke Owens (1980 – 2016), created in 2017 by three of Brooke’s closest friends and supported by an incredible community of individuals and organizations. The program is designed to serve both as an inspiration and as a career boost to capable young women and other gender minorities (like your awesome person) who, like Brooke, aspire to explore our sky and stars, to shake up the aerospace industry, and to help their fellow people here on planet Earth.
We match up to forty students per year with purpose-driven, paid internships at leading aerospace companies and organizations and with senior and executive level mentors. Your awesome person is reaching out to you because they want to be a part of this pool of young leaders, and show us that they have what it takes to work at cool aerospace companies, do meaningful work, and launch themselves to the career of their dreams.
LEARNING ABOUT THE APPLICANT
We are really looking forward to getting to know an applicant to identify the best possible candidates from all backgrounds to join the Brooke Owens Fellowship. As a result, students go through a unique set of requirements to apply to the program, which includes writing original essays and creating a multimedia piece on their professional interests, personal character, and community mindset. However, we can only gain so much about a student from how they present themselves.
We ask for letters of recommendation because we want your perspective as well to learn who our candidates are, how we might be able to support them, and what they might contribute to one of our Host Institutions. Our requirements for the recommendation letters may be different from what you have seen before because we ask for very specific traits of Brookies that we believe can give us a deeper understanding into who the applicant really is from these prompts.
You may have been asked to write a recommendation letter for one of the following prompts:
One letter that focuses on your achievements, skills, and potential in achievement-oriented settings like jobs, classes, labs, certain clubs or extracurricular activities, and more.
One letter that focuses on your character, creativity, and consistency in service-oriented settings like clubs, religious groups, family groups, and more.
For the achievements, skills, and potential in achievement-oriented settings prompt, we want to see your perspective on how the applicant is an achievement-oriented person and the technical and soft skills that they have. There is no restriction on who is answering this prompt, but you might be the applicant’s job supervisor, teaching assistant, professor, club advisor, research collaborator, peer, etc. To answer this prompt, you may want to consider the questions below. These are by no means restrictions on what you can write, but ideas that can help you figure out how to shape your letter!
How has the applicant used their technical skills to solve difficult problems they have faced?
What fuels the applicant throughout their academic and professional career to be achievement-oriented?
When has the applicant gone above and beyond with applying their individual skills and been able to achieve incredible results?
How has the applicant shown tenacity and resilience and where will that take them next?
For the character, creativity, and consistency in service-oriented settings prompt, we want to see your perspective on the applicant as a person through their character, creativity, and consistency in their communities. Similarly, there is no restriction on who you are that is answering this prompt, but you might be the applicant’s club advisor, religious group member, family member, a classmate, project team member, etc. To answer this prompt, you may want to consider the questions below. Again, these are by no means restrictions on what you can write, but ideas that can help you figure out how to shape your letter!
When things get extra busy and hectic, how much time and energy does the applicant dedicate to their community?
What is one of the most creative ways you have seen the applicant solve a problem in their community?
How does the applicant reflect and act upon receiving constructive feedback?
What act of selflessness have you witnessed the applicant do that really impressed you?
STRUCTURE OF THE LETTER
There is no page requirement for the letter, but recommendation letters are typically 1 to 2 pages long. Although there is no one size fits all format for the recommendation letter that the Brooke Owens Fellowship is looking for, here are some tips in case you’re stuck!
Beginning of the Letter
Start the letter by addressing to the “Brooke Owens Fellowship”
Introduce who this recommendation letter is for
Introduce yourself and how you know the applicant you are writing for
Middle of the Letter
Expand on your interactions with the applicant and how well you know them
Talk about anecdotes you have had with the applicant that address the prompt
Consider the example questions in the previous section and try to answer them with specific moments you interacted with or witnessed the applicant show the traits asked in the prompt
End of the Letter
Conclude the letter by summarizing the content and emphasizing key takeaways of the letter
Include a closing statement that reflects on the prompt and identifies the applicant will be strong candidate for the Brooke Owens Fellowship
Provide additional contact information
End with a closing salutation, your signature, and printed/typed name
SUBMITTING THE LETTER
The applicant should have provided information on submitting your letter to the Brooke Owens Fellowship. We are using Reviewr, an application portal where the applicants must add your email to request a letter of recommendation.
When your email is added, you will receive an email from support@reviewr.com with instructions and a link to submit your letter to the application portal. You can see what the screenshot looks like in our Brookie Guide to the Reviewr Application Portal.
The letters of recommendation must be submitted by our application deadline. Please check our Apply page for more information.
OTHER RESOURCES
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/personal-recommendation-letter-samples-2062963