How to Get a Great Letter of Recommendation

If you are considering applying to graduate school, then you will need at least two letters of recommendation. But before you rush over to ask the most convenient people to write your recommendation letters, consider the following guidelines to make sure that you get the best letters of recommendation for your application.

Who to Ask

You do not necessarily need all your letters of recommendation to come from professors. You can also ask teaching assistants, employers, administrators, or internship supervisors. Anyone you worked closely with who helped you gain experience in your field of interest would be a beneficial person to ask. For example, if you are applying to graduate school for Communication, then you may want to consider professors who have taught you in multiple classes, or teaching assistants whose research you assisted in. Or, if you are applying for a Masters in Journalism, then you will want to ask professional journalists you may have interned for or your employer at the university newspaper.

Make sure that the people you ask to write your letters of recommendation know you and your work well and that they have a high opinion of you so that they can describe your work in a positive light in their letter. It also helps if the person you ask to write your recommendation letter is well known and able to write a good letter.

When you do ask someone to write your letter of recommendation, make sure that they know what schools you are applying to and what your education and career goals are. This way, they can tailor their letters to the specific schools you are applying to.

Generally, you will want to ask a variety of people to write your letters of recommendation to cover all of your schools. For example, you may want to ask one or two professors to write your recommendation letters so they can write about your academic skills and research experience. And, to round it out, you may want to ask a former employer to write a letter of recommendation about your work experience (just make sure it is experience related to your intended field of study).

How to Ask

Asking someone to write you a letter of recommendation may be difficult, but sometimes it is necessary. Make sure to give your recommender plenty of time to write the letter-at least one month. Otherwise they may refuse because they feel they do not have enough time to write a strong letter. Also, when you do request a letter of recommendation, pay attention to how the person reacts. If they seem reluctant, ask someone else to write your letter. After all, you want a strong letter of recommendation.

As a token of appreciation, you should write your recommender a thank you note after they have agreed to write a letter of recommendation. You may even include a small gift, such as a $5 gift certificate to Starbucks, if you want. Remember that your recommender has to take time to write your letter, so any small sign of gratitude is good.

Always ask in person if your potential recommender will write a letter of recommendation for you. Make an appointment ahead of time, and when you do see the person, give them a folder with all your information. This folder should include your resume, a copy of the application recommendation form (or a link to the website where they can submit their letter), a due date for the letters, and your statement of purpose or admission essay. You may also want to include your transcript (in case your professor forgot what grades you got in his or her class).

Remember to include all relevant information in your resume, such as relevant courses, research experiences, work experience, pertinent clubs or honor societies, and awards. For more information on how to write a resume, read my article, How to Write the Perfect Resume.