letter of recommendation

Letter Rubric

Letter Excellent (10) Acceptable (5) Unacceptable (0)

Format (10 pts) Proper headings, spacing, paragraph breaks, and margins.

Inconsistent headings, spacing, paragraph breaks, and/or margins.

Incorrect headings, spacing, paragraph breaks, and/or margins.

Letter Excellent (5) Acceptable (3) Unacceptable (0)

Organization (5 pts) Cogent ideas, logically developed paragraphs, comprehensive content, and effective transitions

Partially undeveloped or supported paragraphs. May use questionable transitions.

Unfocused ideas, ineffective paragraphs, incorrect content, and/or non-existent transitions

Spelling/Grammar (5 pts)

Varied and effective sentence structure; concise, clear, courteous, and correct language

A moderate number of errors in sentence structure, spelling, and/or word choice.

Poor sentence structure, incorrect word usage, several misspelled words, and/or discourteous language.

Punctuation (5 pts) Evidence of careful proofreading. Errors do not interfere with comprehension and do not negatively influence the reader’s perception of the writer.

A moderate number of errors that may interfere with comprehension or may negatively influence the reader’s perception of the writer.

Frequent and serious errors that significantly interfere with comprehension and negatively influence the reader’s perception of the writer.