Asking for Letters of Recommendation
Strong letters of recommendation are necessary to get into a
graduate or professional 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. First of all, 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, they will still need time to
review your academic record and personal statement, 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 three 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 and potential as well as, 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 or professional school,
let alone get funding. Also, to the best of your ability, try to
discern who may be the best letter writer. If you notice 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: a copy of your transcripts, a current resume
or curriculum vitae, a draft of your personal statement, the
recommendation form and an addressed and stamped envelope. If you
are applying to multiple schools, provide a recommendation form,
personal statement, and an addressed and stamped envelope for each
application. You will also want to sit down with your recommenders
to go over the folder and give them an opportunity to offer
comments on your personal statements. The more invested your
recommenders are, 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 and put a post-it note with the
due date on each recommendation form so that your recommenders are
clear when everything is due. 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.
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 did not get in, 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
maintain such professional relationships.
For the Future
All of the above advice applies for asking for letters of
recommendation while a graduate or professional
school student. You may find that you are regularly asking for
letters for external programs of study (i.e. a language program or
internship), 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.