What exactly makes for a good LOR?

[Nico Corr]

I always see people on Grad Cafe talk about how important good LOR's are and others boast of the "solid" LORs they possess. What exactly constitutes a good LOR? is it the reputation of the recommendee? Or the contents of the LOR? I want to go to grad school for conflict resolution/ International security and plan to apply next fall. I can get letters from professors who have considerable experience in these fields. I have one professor who was a Soviet diplomat in the 80's and 90's who partook in the START treaty that I could get a LOR from. I have another who has decades of experience in the field of European-American relations and commerce and another who wasn't a practitioner in the field but is respected in the Foreign Policy/Leadership arenas who I could also potentially get letters from. Would these be considered good LORs?

[Rising]

"What makes a good LOR" depends on the admission committee I guess. I'd say a combination of what you mentioned + a sense of connection between you and the professor. A simple "he got A in my class" might not be as effective in persuading the adcom as an elaborate analysis of your strengths. Good luck!

[amolang]

I think, when it comes to looking at an applicant as a "person," the only thing the committee could depend on is LoR because your achievements (other materials) can speak about only a part of your personality.

[lzs]

A good LOR describes specific, concrete things about you that (A) make you sound smart, dedicated, responsible, and prepared for graduate work and (B) the admissions committee would not otherwise have known. If the letter just rehashes information that appears elsewhere in your application (e.g. "received good grades") or offers generic praises ("very intelligent," with no evidence cited), then it's not very helpful to the committee.

It is better to have a LOR from a lesser-known writer who knows you very well and can write a detailed recommendation than one from a high-profile writer who doesn't know you well and can't say much beyond "got an A in my class." Of course if you have your pick between an unknown writer who knows you well and a famous writer who knows you equally well and is willing and able to speak highly and in detail of your qualifications/accomplishments, you should choose the famous one.