Asking for Letters of Recommendation
Strong letters of recommendation are necessary to get into a
graduate program. They can also help you secure funding during your
first year. While you do not have control over what recommenders
write, the steps below will help you obtain the best letters
possible.
Ask Early
Do not wait until a week or two before the application deadline
to ask for letters of recommendation. Your potential recommenders
may decline because they do not feel they can write a strong letter
of support or because they simply do not have the time. For those
who do agree to write letters, and for most programs you will need
three letters, recommenders will still need time to review your
academic record and statement of purpose, write the letter, and
allow a few days for mailing. It is in your best interests to ask
at least one month before any deadline to make sure your
recommenders have plenty of time to craft strong and nuanced
letters of support.
Ask the Right People
Depending on the program to which you apply and your
work-related experiences, you will want to ask professors,
employers, or other appropriate people to write letters that assess
your academic progress, analytical thinking and writing abilities,
and, if applicable, your work ethic. For most graduate programs, at
least two letters should be from professors. Make sure that you are
asking for recommendations from people who know you and your work
well enough to write a detailed letter. A strong, but bland or
generic letter will not be enough to get you into graduate school,
let alone receive funding. Also, to the best of your ability, try
to discern who may be the best letter writer. If you notice that
some professors or employers are careless with their written work,
they may produce a sloppy letter that will reflect poorly on
you.
Be Organized
For each recommender, prepare a folder that includes all of the
necessary items to write a strong, detailed letter. Such items
include the following documents: an unofficial copy of your
transcripts, a current resume, a draft of your statment of purpose,
a paper or lab write-up from the course you took with the
professor, the recommendation form, and an addressed and stamped
envelope. If you are applying to multiple schools, provide a
recommendation form and an addressed and stamped envelope for each
letter. If it is an online recommendation, include instructions
about the online process. You will also want to discuss your
statement of purpose with your recommenders and give them an
opportunity to offer comments. The more invested your recommenders
are in your plans for graduate school, the stronger letter they are
likely to write.
Deadlines
Make sure that you are clear about when different letters are
due. Late letters may reflect poorly on your candidacy. Include a
list of deadlines for each letter or put a post-it note with the
due date on each recommendation form. It is also appropriate to
send a polite reminder a week or two before each deadline.
Keep Track
Keep track of who wrote letters for each application and whether
or not you were admitted to that program. You may notice a trend of
good or bad letters that can help you determine who wrote you the
strongest letters.
Stay in Touch
Let your recommenders know how you did. They have a vested
interest in your success and will want to know if you got into any
programs and if so, which you chose. If you were not admitted, you
can brainstorm with them about how to improve your candidacy. You
may also need letters in the future, especially if you are applying
for funding in your first year of graduate school and have not yet
established a professional record at your new program. It is up to
you to maintain such professional relationships.
For the Future
All of the above advice applies to asking for letters of
recommendation while a graduate student. You may find that you are
regularly asking for letters for external programs of study (i.e. a
language program), assistantships, grants and fellowships, and
post-graduate school employment. By being organized and maintaining
good, professional relationships with your recommenders, you will
strengthen all of your applications at each stage of your
career.