Requesting Letters of Recommendation
- Ask to meet with your recommender(s) to discuss your desire to apply to graduate school.
- Communicate with your recommenders about your goals for graduate study, your career aspirations, and how you chose your schools and programs.
- Give your recommenders a copy of your transcript and CV or resume.
How do you ask for a letter of recommendation for graduate school via email?
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN REQUESTING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION VIA EMAIL
- Keep It Short.
- Remind Them Who You Are.
- Make Your Request Assertive And Specific.
- Don’t Assume Your Request Will Be Accepted.
- Use A Professional Subject Line.
- Use A Proper Salutation.
- Introduce Yourself And Refresh The Professor’s Mind.
How do you politely ask for a letter of recommendation?
Ask a teacher (or two) who knows you well and in whose class you excelled. The better relationship you have with your recommender, the more insightful your recommendation letter will be. It helps if the teacher is known to be a strong writer, too! Request your reference letters in person.
When should I ask for letters of recommendation for graduate school?
Be considerate of your letter writers’ time and approach them at least two months before you need the letter. If you plan to take some time off before going to graduate school, don’t wait until you want to apply to graduate school to ask for letters.
How do I ask my boss for a letter of recommendation for grad school?
The point of a letter of recommendation is to give your prospective employer (or grad school, or whoever) an additional perspective on who you are and what you’re like to work with. So don’t ask a professor that you’ve only had for the past 3 weeks or a boss at a campus job you just started.