Prompt details

Tested on

Claude Opus 5.5

Length

488 words · 4 fill-ins

Example input

[About you and how you know them]: I'm Laura Bennett, chemistry teacher at Riverside High School, a public school with about 1,400 students. I taught Aaliyah Grant in Honors Chemistry in 11th grade and teach her now in AP Chemistry in 12th grade. I also run the Science Olympiad club, where she has been a member for two years.

[What they are applying for]: A direct-entry BSN (four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program at a state university. The portal asks recommenders to upload a letter ("one page preferred") and to answer one question in a text box: "Describe the applicant's readiness for the rigor of a nursing curriculum and their interpersonal skills (250 words max)." The program says it looks for academic preparation in science, compassion, communication and resilience.

[Your notes and examples]: - Honors Chem: A both semesters. By final grade she was one of the top 3 of the 112 honors chemistry students I taught that year (I checked my gradebook). - AP Chem: currently an A-. She struggled with the equilibrium unit (68 on the first test), came to my lunch help sessions three times a week for a month, and scored 91 on the next unit test. - In lab she reads the safety sheet first. Once she noticed a lab partner had mislabeled a hydrochloric acid dilution and stopped the group before they used it. - Science Olympiad: competed in Anatomy and Physiology with a partner; they placed 4th at regionals last year. - She tutors two sophomores in chemistry for free through our peer tutoring program, every Tuesday. - Quiet in big groups but very good one-on-one. Classmates go to her when they're confused because she explains without making them feel dumb. - She told me she wants nursing because of her grandmother's hospice care. I didn't see that myself.

[Their resume or brag sheet]: Aaliyah Grant, Riverside High School, Class of next year GPA: 3.86 unweighted Science courses: AP Biology (score 5), AP Chemistry (in progress), Anatomy & Physiology (A), Honors Chemistry (A) Activities: - Science Olympiad, 2 years; 4th place at regionals in Anatomy and Physiology - Peer tutor, 1 year, two students weekly - Volunteer at Maple Grove Senior Living, Saturdays, 120 hours over 18 months (activities and meal service) - Completed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course this summer - Part-time cashier at a grocery store, 12 hours a week Why nursing: my grandmother's hospice nurses made her last months peaceful, and I want to do that for families. Goal: pediatric oncology nursing

Example output

1. The letter

[Riverside High School letterhead]

[Date]

Admissions Committee

[Nursing program name], [University name]

Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,

I teach chemistry at Riverside High School, a public school of about 1,400 students. I taught Aaliyah Grant in Honors Chemistry in 11th grade and teach her now in AP Chemistry. I have also advised her for two years in Science Olympiad, the club I run. I strongly recommend her for your direct-entry BSN program because she combines strong science preparation with careful judgment and a real gift for explaining things to one person at a time.

Aaliyah earned an A in both semesters of Honors Chemistry. By final grade she was one of the top three of the 112 honors chemistry students I taught that year, which I confirmed in my gradebook before writing this. She is currently earning an A- in AP Chemistry. The way she earned it tells you more than the grade does. She scored a 68 on her first equilibrium test, a low mark for her. For the next month she came to my lunch help sessions three times a week. On the next unit test she scored a 91. Nursing school will give her a hard unit at some point, and I have already seen what she does when that happens.

Her judgment in the lab stands out. She reads the safety sheet before she starts, which most students skip. During one lab she noticed that a partner had mislabeled a hydrochloric acid dilution, and she stopped the group before anyone used it. Catching a labeling error, and speaking up before it caused harm, is a habit that matters in a clinical setting.

Aaliyah is quiet in large groups but very effective one-on-one. Classmates come to her when they are confused because she explains without making them feel foolish. She also volunteers as a peer tutor and works with two sophomores in chemistry every Tuesday. In Science Olympiad she competed in Anatomy and Physiology with a partner, and they placed 4th at regionals last year.

Her application also lists a 5 on the AP Biology exam, an A in Anatomy and Physiology, a Certified Nursing Assistant course completed this summer, and 120 hours of volunteering at Maple Grove Senior Living. I did not observe these myself, but they fit the student I know.

Claude Opus 5.5

Letter of Recommendation – Letter of recommendation prompt for ChatGPT and Claude

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Claude Opus 5.5

This prompt writes a letter of recommendation from your own notes. Paste who you are, what they are applying for, your examples and their brag sheet; you get the letter, the form answers and a list of facts to check.

What you get

A one-page letter built on two or three stories that match what the program values
Answers to the application's recommender questions, inside their word limits
A checklist of every claim and number, marked by where it came from

How to use it

1
Add your own examples
The brag sheet lists what they did; your notes say what you saw. Two or three specific moments make the letter.
2
Copy the questions exactly
Paste the program's recommender questions and limits word for word so the answers fit the form.
3
Check every fact
Go through the checklist, fill each placeholder with a true figure or delete it, and sign only what you can stand behind.

Better results

Ask the candidate for their brag sheet and the program's stated values before you start; matching your stories to those values is what lifts the letter.
Follow up with: "Which sentence would a committee skip, and what example from my notes could replace it?"
Keep the letter. For the next program, paste it with the new requirements and ask for a version that fits them.

Questions

Can ChatGPT write a letter of recommendation?

Yes, ChatGPT can write a good letter of recommendation from your notes about the candidate and what they are applying for. Without your own examples it writes generic praise, so give it specific moments you saw, and check every fact before you sign.

Is it okay to use AI to write a recommendation letter?

Using AI to draft a recommendation from your own notes is fine for most purposes, as long as the judgments and examples are yours and you check every word. Some schools and employers have their own rules on AI use, so check if you are unsure.

What makes a strong letter of recommendation?

A strong letter of recommendation shows how the writer knows the candidate, gives two or three specific examples tied to what the program values, shows ability as well as effort, and compares the candidate with others only when the writer can back it up.

What is a brag sheet?

A brag sheet is a one-page summary a student or candidate gives their recommender: grades, activities, achievements, goals and why they are applying. It reminds the writer of the facts, but the letter still needs the writer's own examples of what they saw.

Updated 8 Nov 2026