1.
20th of April 2017
Academic Reference Letter of recommendation for Akari's graduate application.
To Whom It May Concern,
It is my great pleasure for me to recommend Akari to your renowned MA program of (name) at (name). I have known Akari for more than five years. I came to understand her very well when she was a student in my contemporary art seminar course that was held once a week from her third to her fifth year. In addition, I served as her professor of Art Scenery, Philosophy of Formative Arts, Science of the Arts, and other courses. I also instructed her in the practical training in Chiba City Museum of Art. At the same time, I gave her close guidance on her graduation dissertation as an instructor in charge. She completed those classes and practical training with great marks that were relevant to GPA 3.73 in total.
Akari is a perceptive student with a high aptitude for education and arts. Over the last few years, Akari designed a challenging curriculum for herself and succeeded in combining advanced reading seminars with a graduate thesis seminar. In those seminars, she was well-prepared, and she never hesitated to participate in discussions, raise honest questions and share her innumerable ideas with other students. Regarding her graduate thesis, in particular, she wrote well as a whole, she was analytical and articulate, yet unique and creative. She showed her profound ability to think logically and critically, especially when she coped with complex subject matter that crossed different disciplines. Her outstanding accomplishment for her dissertation was mirrored on a grade A, which was among the top few students in my seminar.
Akari's personal strength was as impressive as her intellectual performance. It was clear from the beginning of the course that she had a strong curiosity in the area, which made her an outstandingly enthusiastic and engaging student. She was an outgoing presence not only in classes but also lectures and academic meetings outside of formal school. Her open-minded and cheerful character to feedback, different opinions, and new ideas meant she was always learning and growing as an active learner. I am certain her impressive strength will keep on encouraging and progressing her academic and professional performance in your graduate school and her future career.
In addition to her academic excellence, Akari has a wealth of practical experience. She is qualified as a museum curator and an adult education supervisor, and she gained the chances of practical training in the art museum and art centers. I believe these unique experiences were an excellent opportunity for her to connect theory and practice as she is determined to build her future career in an art museum, gallery and community settings. Specifically, concerning her application for the graduate program in contemporary art, Akari has a strong academic background and work experience in the relevant academic fields.
I am delighted to hear that Akari now seeks to enroll in your graduate program in order to carry on further studies in contemporary art. Studying in your graduate program will encourage and guide her future success. By witnessing her overall performance and devoted ambition in my courses and training, I strongly believe that Akari is well-suited for your program and will keep on succeed in her studies and beyond.
2.
20th April 2017
To whom it may concern,
I am writing this academic reference to respond to the request from Akari who is our former student. Based on Akari's overall academic performance and hard work in my classes, I can confidently say that she will be just an ideal candidate for your MA program of (name) at (name).
I have known Akari since 2012 at the very beginning of her university life. She had been the student in my charge for four and half years of her undergraduate studies in Lifelong Education Course, Faculty of Education, Chiba University. I am accordingly well acquainted with her abilities, qualifications, and character.
I instructed Akari mainly during her first year in my continuing education class and seminar held two times a week and intensively over the summer vacation. From the beginning of the lecture, I immediately recognized Akari as a conscientious and well-organized student. Akari consistently completed all her coursework on time and attention to detail. She is a very good student who always pursues perfection with great determination. This is the reason why I gave her A grade for all her exceptional work in all my courses.
She was comfortable with herself and was well-recognized by her classmates and teachers because of her easy-going and polite nature. She was very serious and motivated in her pursuit of her knowledge and experience, but at the same time, she was self-effacing and respectful, willing to pay attention to peers' ideas and opinions with an open heart. At the end of the seminar, she took the initiative to organize the final excursion, visiting non-formal learning institutions. This experience gave her the opportunity to serve on a team with a wide range of people in community settings. Through her participation in various classes and activities, I observed that she developed her communication and interpersonal skills, which will be enormously helpful for her when achieving future goals.
On the process to complete your graduate school program, she will inevitably have to face lots of challenges. However, I have no doubt that Akari's responsible attitude and constant aspiration for her education will enable her to deal with each challenge, and even make it to her great advantage and strength. In 2014, we reluctantly agreed to the Japanese government's decision to abolish our Lifelong Learning Course that she used to belong to, which eventually forced us to cut the number of classes and lecturers focusing on the subject. Compared with some of her classmates who were discouraged to study their field anymore, Akari's response towards this challenge impressed me, which was to change her learning environment. She was chosen to be an exchange student at the University of Eastern Finland. Aside from developing her English skill and academic abilities, these considerable international experiences gave Akari a unique and objective viewpoint based on the awareness and familiarity with global society. When Akari had the challenge, she confronted it head on and even enjoyed the process of learning, growing and going through the difficulty.
In conclusion, I was impressed by Akari's remarkable academic performance and driven attitude in my classes, and that is the reason why I wholeheartedly recommend her to your program. She possesses a strong academic background and determination to prepare well for the challenges in order to succeed the MA degree and her future career.
