What do professors usually mention in a recommendation letter for student applying for a master’s?

I’ve been reading up on grad school stuff lately, and one thing that keeps popping up is this “recommendation letter for student” thing. I’m super curious — when professors write these letters for students applying to master’s programs, what do they actually include or highlight? Is it just grades or something more?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s been through the process or knows a bit more! :raising_hands:

Oh I wondered the same thing a while back :sweat_smile: It’s not just grades — profs usually talk about your attitude towards learning, how consistent you were, any cool projects or papers you did with them, stuff like that. They try to show you’re not just book-smart but also curious and dependable.

Yep, and if you’ve worked with them on a research project or even helped out in class discussions, they might mention how engaged you were. Basically, they’re trying to convince the grad school that you’re a solid bet, both academically and personally.

Adding on — they also bring up soft skills sometimes. Like, if you’re good at teamwork, or you take initiative. If you helped organize anything or did well in labs, that goes in too.

Also, if you’ve overcome anything major or shown growth during the course — some profs include that. Shows resilience and character. Not all do it, but it definitely adds weight.