example of including detail

here is an example of a statement from a draft letter and how it was revised to make it "better".  In the initial draft, the student had this to say about themselves:

"In my class X showed outstanding leadership skills and teamwork when working on research projects in group.  X also showed great skill in performing scientific research"

OK.  so this is complimentary enough, but 400 other people will be having letters that say pretty much the same thing about them (most people do not ask for letters from people who will not say nice things about them).  Without more info the letter will be so short, and an admissions committee has no feeling for how strongly the letter writer feels these things are true.  So what makes your letter stand out from the other 400?  Evidence.  Show HOW you have great skill in performing scientific research.  For example, for research, I expanded 1 sentence to THREE paragraphs.  This is one of them:

"X has also been a tremendous asset as an undergradute researcher in my lab.  He is currently working on two projects: 1) development of magnetic resonance imaging probes that an be activated by electrical activity and 2) design of a device to facilitate delivery of aerosols to rodent models for lung research.  For the first project, X initially worked with a postdoc in the lab, learning chemical syntehsis and characterization methods.  X prepared small molecule gadolinium agents based on DOTA chelators with pendant spiropyran groups.  The spiropyran groups respond to reduction and oxidation to modulate the magnetic properties of the molecule.  With no prior experience in this area, X proved to  be a dedicated worked and quick study, performing many difficult synthetic procedures.  X asks astonishingly insightful questios, some of which have led to redesign of experiments that were proposed by myself and his postdoc mentor.  X's duties and responsibilities have increased as X's proficiency became evident and currently X is performing cell studies to characterize the behavior of these probes in a living system, working mostly independently.  In recognition of X's enormous contribution, X is a co-author on a paper in JACS that describes this work."
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So, doesn't that sound WAY more impressive than "X showed great skill in performing research"?

The expanded version provides description of specific things that X did that demonstrate that X worked hard, learned alot, and earned the right to work independently by impressing the faculty mentor.   Make sure your letter writers have access to this sort of detail about things that you did which will illustrate the adjectives that you want to apply to yourself.

Now is not the time to be humble!  :)  Be honest.  Be detailed.  Be brave.

Now go out there and do it!