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.
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.
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.A great letter of recommendation from a professor, manager or colleague can set your graduate school application apart from other candidates.
- Choose who you want to write your letter.
- Make a formal request.
- Provide information to the writer.
- Give plenty of time to write the letter.
- Write a thank you letter.
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.
What should a letter of recommendation for graduate school include?
Include the following information so that the recommender can use a few details to bolster their letter:
- Classes the student has taken with the recommender.
- Experiences you have shared.
- Transcripts.
- Resume/CV.
- Research experience and internships.
- Awards and achievements.
- Academic/career goals.
- Relevant professional experience.