To Whom It May Concern:

This reference letter is provided at the written request of ****, who has asked me to serve as a reference on his behalf.

I have known *** for the past eight months, as he has taken the *** course which I teach.  As his professor, I have had an opportunity to observe the student’s participation and interaction in class and to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the subject matter.  I would rate the student’s overall performance in these subjects as excellent. This is evidenced by his grades, averaging 97%.

*** was one of the most dedicated of my students. He always came to laboratory classes prepared, asked meaningful questions, and frequently volunteered to present his work.  Many *** concepts are not straightforward, and it was evident that *** put a great deal of time and effort into learning the material.  He was one of the hardest working students.  His laboratory group benefited immensely from his inquisitive style.

As per his performance records, he can be placed in the top 1% of a class of 35 students in my subject and is placed in the top 5% overall.  He is intelligent and inquisitive, and he yearns to gain in-depth knowledge. With his determination and hard work, I have no doubt that he will succeed in all his endeavors.

I believe this student would perform competently with your organization and has potential if challenged.  If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me.

Best regards,

 ***, PhD (or whatever your correct designation is; the basic form is name + diploma:  James Mason, MD)

I am in a professional writing class this semester and have already received some valuable tips which I shed to you. Do not use to "whom it may concern." Do some research and find something more specific. Do not use passive verbs (am, was, is, are, have, be,). Do not use no, not, or anything negative (neither, nor, etc.).  Where you state, "I have no doubt that he will succeed in all his endeavors." Possibly rephrase this to get rid of the negative "no" to something like, "His determination and hard work warrant his success and profitability in all future endeavors."

I posted this anonymously (I forgot to log in). Should be showing up below, however, you have it now instead .