Fellowships Guide - Reference Letters

This web page is maintained for the benefit of Williams College students, alumnae and faculty. Specific questions should be addressed to Jody Spooner, Director of Fellowships at jspooner@williams.edu. For samples of outstanding letters of reference on behalf of past Williams College candidates for national scholarships, see the appropriate links below.

The object is to convince the reader that the candidate is superior and to render the candidate unique and memorable.

Agreeing to write a recommendation for a candidate for a national fellowship is an extremely unselfish act. This particular genre demands lots of substance and lots of specifics about the candidate. Effective letters usually range from 1,000 to 2,000 words. The object is to convince the reader that the candidate is superior and to render the candidate unique and memorable. When such inclusion is appropriate the letter may include comparison with other candidates currently applying or candidates who have (and won) in the past.

Candidates should provide their writers with information about the scholarship as well as very specific information about their reasons for pursing this scholarship, their proposed course of study and career path.

All available files are in .pdf format. You will need Acrobat Reader to view the documents. If you don't already have it, download Acrobat Reader.

Samples of letters appropriate to support the Rhodes Scholarship, British Marshall Scholarship and Mitchell Scholarship


Samples of letters appropriate to support a Fulbright Scholarship


Samples of letters appropriate to support a Luce Scholarship