Have you decided to pursue a Master’s in aerospace engineering abroad and are you wondering how to go about the documentation? You call all your friends to understand the process to write a sample LOR for MS in aerospace engineering and now you are more confused than before?
Don't worry, this article will provide you with insights into the LOR requirements for aerospace engineering courses. Generally, the length of the LOR varies according to the course structure/university guidelines, but here we will focus on the basic details that universities expect from a student's LOR.
A degree in aerospace engineering equips prospective students with skills directed toward designing, developing, and manufacturing mechanical systems for rockets and missiles. Aerospace engineering has become an important niche in the engineering fields majorly after Elon Musk’s successful private organisation, “SpaceX” changed the worldview in this field.
Besides, aerospace engineering is an interdisciplinary subject which intersects with knowledge from other fields, such as electrical engineering, mechatronics, and materials science. Let’s understand the process to create an impressive LOR and begin your aerospace engineering journey!
LOR Requirements for Aerospace Engineering
It is not an overstatement when we say that LORs are among the most important documents for getting admission into the concerned university. The sample LOR for MS in aerospace engineering is one document that will be examined closely by the universities, thus adding considerable weightage to any admission application.
Therefore, to make your LOR for aerospace engineering a success you must include these crucial qualities, carefully aligned with the skills required to be a good aerospace engineer. These include hard work, team collaboration, leadership, experience/knowledge of programming and physical tools, problem-solving, decision making, prioritisation, and technical expertise. Further, let’s check the…
Types of LORs for Aerospace Engineering
It is a common practice that while applying for a Master’s course, universities require students to submit a mix of academic and professional LORs depending upon how many years of job experience they have and what qualities they are looking to portray. The LOR is an important document as it speaks for the character/personality of the student, acting as a critical document for proving their candidature. Let’s check the LOR requirements as per courses.
- Undergraduate Courses: Undergraduate students quite often have zero to minimum industry exposure which is not essentially relevant to be emphasised. Academic LORs in this scenario need to be written by the applicants’ high school teachers and school mentors, emphasising the applicant’s qualities; well-substantiated with examples.
- Postgraduate Courses: For postgraduate courses, applicants need to submit a mix of academic and professional LORs (if applicable). The academic LORs should essentially be written by the applicant’s undergraduate college professors and the professional LOR can be written by the applicant’s manager in charge or superiors at the workplace.
- These LORs must explain the students’ practical exposure and knowledge, focusing on different soft skills like teamwork abilities, leadership skills, and technical abilities. It is extremely important to add examples to substantiate the qualities mentioned in a LOR.
- PhD Courses/ MS (Thesis-based): For research-based degrees, the LORs must be provided by academicians or researchers with whom the students have worked or research guides from undergraduate/postgraduate courses of the applicant. The LOR must focus on the applicant’s research experience and goals, highlighting their affinity toward research. As it goes without saying, even these LORs must be rich with examples substantiating all the qualities mentioned by the recommender.
Suggested: Letter of Recommendation Guide for MS, MBA, and Others
How to Write a LOR for Aerospace Engineering Courses?
Just like in any other engineering LORs, sample LOR for MS in aerospace engineering can be broadly divided into three parts—introduction, body, and conclusion. Let’s go through them one by one!
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Introduction
The introduction is essentially a small paragraph introducing the recommender, their professional capacity and educational background, and their relationship with the applicant. This paragraph establishes a clear rapport between the recommender and the applicant.
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Body Paragraphs
In these paragraphs, write or ask the recommender to explain how they remember you.
- Try to divide your body into three paragraphs.
- Address these qualities in order of importance.
- State each outstanding quality in three separate sections and back them up with good examples.
Paragraph 1: In the first paragraph of your body, write a line about how the recommender remembers you; the qualities you possess. Use specific examples to show how each skill was observed by the recommender. Like during the project, if you have demonstrated your leadership quality, then explain how and when you did it.
Paragraph 2: If you did a project under your recommender, mention the project name and the skills you acquired. You do not have to load your LOR with all your qualities without proper anecdotes to back them up. So, please write a few of the notable attributes and then back them up with appropriate anecdotes to grab the admission committee's attention. You can show the journey of how you acquired one skill while working on the project, and the recommender noticed it.
Paragraph 3: If you have any paper publications/seminars under this recommender, you can write about them. Then write about the qualities you portrayed. You can also write about any co-curricular activities that you have participated in the college if the recommender is aware of it. A similar pattern you have to follow for your professional LOR. Only here, you need to write about the projects you did during your work period under that particular recommender.
Please note to write a LOR in the third person; it is the recommender who is explaining everything about you to the admissions committee.
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Conclusion
Confirm that you would be a perfect student for that particular university by highlighting your notable qualities. Encourage the admission committee to contact the recommender for any additional questions.
LORs should be around 500-600 words long, encompassing all three main aspects of the given structure. Ideally, it should be a page long on the letterhead of the recommender’s organisation.
Suggested: How to Write an SOP for Aerospace Engineering?
LOR Requirements of Top Aerospace Engineering Universities
Following are the aerospace engineering recommendation letter requirements of top universities. Let’s explore them!
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University Name |
LOR Requirements |
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2 academic LORs |
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3 academic or professional recommendation letters |
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3 academic or professional recommendation letters |
Suggested: Sample LOR for Masters (MS)
Further, let’s check the…
Tips to Write an Aerospace Engineering LOR
Following are the pointers to consider while writing an academic/professional aerospace engineering LOR.
- Maintain a professional or formal tone for your academic and professional LOR.
- Follow the common writing style as mentioned above unless the respected university provides particular prompts.
- Do not mention in any part of the LOR that you plan to stay in a foreign country.
- Do not repeat the same line in all the LORs.
- Try to incorporate distinct qualities in different LORs, as the committee should not know that you are the writer of your three LORs. Instead, they should feel three different people have written the LORs. You can also ask your recommender to write a LOR.
- Write about those qualities and projects that the recommender is aware of and substantiate them with examples.
- There should be details about your relationship with the recommender, including details as to how long you have known each other, how you got introduced to each other, in which semesters you were associated with each other, etc.
- The student should highlight their strengths by using appropriate and real instances from their life.
- Shortcomings can also be mentioned along with the details about how the student tried to overcome them.
- Do not use the recommendation letters available on the internet. Instead, seek help from university alumni to understand a basic overview of how the LOR should be drafted.
Suggested: Guide to Pursue Masters in Aerospace Engineering
To sum up, a LOR must reflect the best image of the student while providing true and honest information. We hope the guidelines will help you write the perfect LOR for your preferred university in the aerospace engineering program.
However, it can be daunting to apply to a university if you don't know the nitty-gritty of their recommendation letter for aerospace engineering courses. But there is good news, Yocket has got you covered. Enjoy our end-to-end guidance or a customised service plan by choosing Yocket premium. With this, our well-qualified and trained counsellors will mentor you for a successful study abroad ride.
