How should a letter of recommendation be addressed (the greeting)?

Question

If you don't know the exact person, or even title, that the letter will go to, what do you write? When is the phrase "To Whom It May Concern" appropriate?

In particular, I'm giving a letter to a friend (sealed) so he can send it to a college when applying for admission. I don't know if it will go to one person or a committee. And he may send one letter to the admissions staff, but another letter to a scholarship committee (then again, maybe I should write a separate letter for that situation?)

Answer 1

There's nothing really wrong with "To Whom It May Concern," but it looks much less professional than "Dear Committee Members."

And I can guarantee you without doubt that the letters of recommendation for his application for admission, as well as his scholarship application, will definitely be read by a committee rather than just one person.

Answer 2

Professional Letter Greeting

Answer 3

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It is very easy for a teacher to write to more than one college as usually the teacher only has to change the name of the college in the letter. So you want to ask the teachers who will give the best recommendations. Usually you need two teacher recommendations at most. Some colleges may ask for a third. You should have earned all A grades under the teachers whom you ask. You should have participated in class discussion and received favorable comments from the teacher. The teachers should be in academic subjects, unless you are applying for an athletic scholarship, etc. You know who the right teachers are. You should be sure to always greet them with a cheerful "good morning" or "hello" when you pass them in the hallway for the rest of the time that you are in high school, starting today or tomorrow! Approach the teachers as soon as you are prepared with the required materials, which include a stamped business-size envelope addressed to proper official at the college and any form that the college wants completed. It is better to hand the teacher all the forms at once, but if you do not have them all, hand over as much as you have and tell the teacher that you will hand over the rest as soon as you receive them. Tell the teacher how much you have enjoyed the class and how much you appreciate the great instruction that the teacher is giving (or has given if you took the class last year). You need to speak to the teacher privately if you possibly can. No one else should be around. You can usually catch the teacher in the classroom at the end of the school day. If the teacher is in the classroom with another student and the door is open, wait in the hallway until the other student leaves. The other student is probably there for the same reason and also wants privacy. I do not know how many colleges you are applying to. However, I feel that eight is the absolute top number of letters that you can ask a single teacher to write. I have asked for that many from college professors for grad school and never had a problem. An exception as to whom to ask is if you are applying to a private college or an out-of-state college and you know that a certain teacher is an alumna or alumnus of that college, it might be better to ask that teacher, if you have received A grades, rather than to ask one whom you know better. Some teachers casually mention where they went to college and some high schools publish lists. Don't ask the teachers where they went to college. Another exception is if you are the outstanding student in the class, especially a small class. An example would be if you are the only student earning A grades in the final year of a Latin class of ten students. Asking this teacher will give him or her the opportunity to write that you are the outstanding student in the class. That is the best sentence to have in a letter. Do *not* mention this to the teacher, which would be rude, as the teacher already knows this. If a teacher declines to write a letter with an excuse of lack of time, etc., take the hint and find another with a more positive attitude. Within a school day of receiving acceptance from any college to which a teacher has written, you should personally (not by email, etc.) tell the teacher that you have been accepted and thank the teacher for the help. If the acceptance is from your first choice school, you should tell the teacher that, but you should also continue to personally inform the teacher of any other acceptances you receive as you receive them. In the unlikely event that you do not receive acceptances from any colleges to whom a particular teacher wrote, you should thank that teacher for taking the time to write even though you were not accepted. I have written at such length as I am convinced that letters of recommendation caused my acceptance at the grad school of my choice. Good luck.

Answer 4

"To Whom It May Concern" I believe is a little inappropriate in this era. I believe that "Dear Distinguished Representative" or "Dear esteemed Colleague". You could also just leave the header empty. For instance many times in a professional letter, you place the contact information on the left hand side of the letter. Then you start with the first paragraph two lines below the contact information.

Answer 5

"To whom it may concern" is appropriate. That works whether it does go to just one person or a committee. As for the letter itself, most people would generalize it enough that it could be copied and used multiple times for different organizations. This is helpful, as long as you sign at the bottom of each copy in ink, so it looks more professional and genuine.

Answer 6

You can use either To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir/Madam. To add personal touch, I would call their office and ask who you should address the letter to. It really makes an impression.

Answer 7

There are many ways that you can address a letter to a college. The simplest would be
*Dear____,
Then you would seem like you were writing to a friend or someone you know.
*Proffessor
*Fellow Campus Director
Have Fun LOL

Answer 8

"To whom it may concern" is fine. It's the greeting I always see...
Or if you can contact the college, find out to whom's attention you should send it to.

Answer 9

It should start with "To Whom it May Concern"

Answer 10

"Dear Sir or Madame," is the proper way to address it...signing off with "Kind Regards" or "Regards" is quite professional as well.