recommendation letter

I will be very grateful if somebody native proofreads this recommendation letter for a graduate student. I've been struggling a lot with some sentences, but they still seem to be overloaded and vague. Please, scan my text and say, if it is fluent and clear for you or not. Are there any unnecessary details? Any suggestions for improvement are welcome!
Please, correct my grammar and style mistakes as well.

Thank you A LOT in advance!
1. Please state:
• For how long have you known the applicant? What are his/her skills?
I have known xxx for the past two years, both as a professor and an assigned supervisor
of his second year project and this gave me the chance to gain more insight to the student’s abilities and personality.
• Which subject has the applicant studied with you and what was his/her performance?
He has studied with me:
- Instrumentation and industrial maintenance
- Mechanical power transmission
His performances in both courses were so good. In fact, he is one of my top 10 students.
2. Intellectual abilities
• Present performance
His present performance is great. He is continually improving his skills, and grades.
• Potential
He has a lot of potential in both sides intellectual and personal, he is one of the most intelligent student that I have seen, he has a great capacity of understanding new things quickly, he has the ability to learn things by himself, and he has a great self-confident.

• Do you consider that the applicant’s degree classification reflects his/her abilities?
I really do not think that his degree classification reflects his abilities because I am sure that he has more potential in him. That is why I think that he has more abilities than what his degree classification reflects.

• Amongst your students, would you say that the applicant is in the top 2%, top 5%, top 10%, top 25%, top 50% or other of the class?
Amongst my students, xxx is in the top 10% of the class.

3. Interpersonal skills
• Please comment on the candidate’s ability to express himself/herself orally and in writing.
He can communicate effectively in engineering and on a daily basis, whether in speaking or
writing.
4. Suitability for the selected programme in terms of :
• Personal factors - application, stability, independence of mind, creative ability, aptitude to teamwork.
Since the beginning of our collaboration, xxx has showed himself as an intelligent and hardworking student, who takes a passionate interest in the chosen area. During my lectures, xxx has always been attentive and concentrated, perceiving study material profoundly and displaying a remarkable grasp of the content. He has consistently taken an active part in classroom discussions and seminars, bringing in a lot with thoughtful comments and interesting presentations. In completing tasks and assignments, he has always demonstrated great initiative and a very positive attitude, as well as good team working skills.

Working on a project under my supervision, xxx has shown excellent analytical skills and intellectual creativity. He has taken a deep look into complex problems of the mechanical engineering field and the advanced technologies. By using a broad interdisciplinary approach and involving plenty of resources, he accomplished an exceptionally well researched and interesting project.

xxx seems to be highly enthusiastic about everything that relates to mechanical engineering. He is maintaining continual self-learning and growth through extensive reading and attending all exhibitions and conference available in the city. This has helped him to gain deep understanding and broad erudition in the subject. xxx’s perpetual seeking after new knowledge and experience must have determined him decision of taking academic programme abroad.


• Motivation for studies abroad (independence from family, opening mind, chances of success, etc.)
From his performance in the university, he is mature and independent, and always has definite short-term and long-term plans for his study and career. I believe that study abroad is a considered decision to him. With his characteristic, he would definitely succeed in this program and in the future career.
• From an overall point of view, what do you consider as being his/her major talents and most significant limitations? To which extent would he/she benefit from the programme ?
He has independent and innovative thinking abilities, which ensure his success in this program and in the future. He is good at managing time and multi-tasking, and can adapt well to various environments. In addition, he always sets suitable goals for his future and make efforts to achieve them. Based on his previous outstanding performance, I believe he would succeed in this program. Meanwhile, program can provide a great opportunity to learn advanced technology and broaden his view. The international study environment and internship experiences brought by would be of great benefit to his future career.
5. Interests
Please refer to the candidate’s contribution to the community’s life, if known.
As far as I know, he is a member of the National Union for the Blind, a one of the top players of college football
6. Please feel free, either in the following space or in a separate letter, to refer to any factor which should, in fairness to the candidate or university, be mentioned (health, personal or domestic circumstances, etc.)

I would rate the student's overall performance as far above average, which is evidenced by his marks. He has superior grades in most of the attended courses.

At a personal level, Mr.xxx is a well-disciplined, responsible student with a pleasant personality. He has always been very friendly and respectful, showing a great capacity for integration into university life. He has actively participated in cultural activities, provided by our university, being involved into students performances and designing the stage. xxx is a broad-minded, internationally oriented student, who has some abroad experience and is well prepared to new challenges.

For all these reasons, I would highly recommend Mr. xxxx. He is an exceptional candidate, who would contribute greatly to any programme. Furthermore, I believe that studying at your university will provide him with valuable experience and will help him deepen understanding of the subject he is sincerely interested in.