在撰写推荐信时，许多申请人受到一些"范文"的影响，感觉推荐信的模式性很强，大同小异，因此就从网上下栽一些模板，修改一下就OK了。这样做的结果是招生人员面对成千上万中国学生的推荐信，发现都是一样的：学习刻苦，善于钻研，乐于助人，是所教过的最好的学生，不但重视书本知识的学习还积极，可以想象，这样的推荐信等于没写一样。因此推荐点应切实着眼于申请者自身独有的一些闪光点，力争做到表现出申请人独到的优势。同时推荐点切忌过多，伤其十指不如断其一指，一封推荐信中有一个主要的闪光点并言之有物即可，这样会给招生人员留下较为深刻的印象。
推荐信的内容写得具体一些还是较为笼统，这也是许多申请人经常难以把握的问题。一般来说，越是级别高的推荐人写的推荐信越不能太具体，因为在欧美的观念中，有很高社会地位的人往往是非常繁忙和社会交往非常丰富的，这样的人能为申请者写推荐信已经很说明问题了，如果写得过于具体，连申请者的一些细节的活动都留下了深刻的印象，这样的推荐信显得太不正常，并不可信。反之，较为接近申请人的推荐人写的推荐信就可以写得具体一些。 一封好的推荐信不仅需要出自一位在某一方面了解你的人士之手，而且这封信对你的评价必须要有具体的例子来佐证。许许多多的推荐信都犯着一个雷同而且是致使的错误，那就是几乎每一句话都堆满了赞美的形容词或名词，但却不举一件事例来证明。这样的推荐信是苍白无力的，它不增加录取委员会对你的任何了解，甚至会让读者产生疑问：你的教授，你的顶头上司，为什么不能说出你任何一件具体的成就!
同时为了增加推荐信的真实性，可以写少量并不重要但很中肯的小缺点，这不失为一种聪明的策略。推荐信的语言风格应该清晰流畅，言简意赅，并且每封推荐信的的语言风格应该有所区别。推荐信切忌写得过长，一般来说500英文字以内比较适合，既能排在一张A4信纸，并上下留出写抬头和签名的充足空间。最好用推荐信印有推荐人单位(学校、公司)名称的信封和信纸，并用激光打印机打印。信封的封口需要推荐人签名。推荐信可以和申请表一起寄出，但要记得要在信封正面写上推荐人和对方学校的联系地址，以便核查。
University of International Business and Economics
Beijing 100029, P. R. China
Sept. 28, 1998
Dear colleagues:
This is to recommend Ms. Shan Shan, a graduate from this university’s department of International Business Management, for acceptance into your MBA program.
I have known Ms. Shan as a resourceful and goal-oriented individual since 1990, when she attended a lecture I delivered, at which she asked perceptive and challenging questions. Although she did not officially take a course with me, she often consulted me on issues arising out of her studies. I therefore have come to know her well. I feel strongly that Ms. Shan’s unusual talents and abilities will stand her in good stead for a quality MBA education, which should serve as a major boost to her career.
While at this university, Ms. Shan was an outstanding student, boasting excellent performance in all subjects of her studies and demonstrating great potential. Her overall GPA ranked her among the top 3 in her class of 40 students. But Ms. Shan was no bookworm devoted exclusively to exams. She read extensively in subjects outside her major, particularly in business law, marketing, finance and journalism, all of which seemed to be fascinating to her. In recognition of her intellectual strengths, the department offered, at the time of her graduation, to accept her into its graduate without the normally mandatory examinations. She, however, turned down the offer. A highly independent woman, she already had her own agenda set. She wanted to obtain practical management experience first and then proceed to pursue a Master’s Degree in Business Administrative in your country. She apparently made the right decision, for she has since become one of our most successful graduates in her crop of students.
Ms. Shan is good at communicating in both oral and written English. Some of he most important undergraduate courses were taught by American professors, many of whom considered her oral English as native and her written English as standard. I am sure that she has since improved her English a lot more in her professional life.
In Ms. Shan, we all saw an optimistic and easy-going character. With highly unusual determination, she is not to be daunted by any difficulties. She believes that, with hard work, she can achieve anything she wants. I think her confidence in herself is well grounded in her track record, especially when considering the fact that she entered into this university as the daughter of a most impoverished family, but graduated as a top student.
Judging by what I know of her, I think Ms. Shan is fully qualified to pursue an MBA degree in your program. I therefore recommend her with enthusiasm. And I shall greatly appreciate if you can favorably consider her application for admission and financial aid.
Yours sincerely
