"I am pleased to write to you on behalf of X, who is applying for a fellowship to study . . . . I have known X for two years. She took my course in . . . . More recently, I have been advising her on her thesis.
X has done well in Harvard's . . . concentration. The concentration includes preparation in . . . . In addition, she has had substantial exposure to the "practical" aspects of her topic, for example through her work at . . . . Thus she is extremely well prepared to fulfill her proposed project.
X has selected an area, . . . , which is of growing interest. . . . In my view as someone who studies . . . among other topics, questions such as this are severely under-researched. The proposed topic - . . . - seems to be both worthwhile and feasible, and should prove very interesting.
X is an independent self-starter. While she has no trouble working in groups, or interacting with others, she can also work well on her own. Furthermore, she is mature and personable. I would expect her to perform well in a wide range of environments. In fact, her personality and skills should place her high on any list of good "representatives" for the U.S.
I hope that you will consider her application strongly.
