How should I ask someone to write me a letter of recommendation?
It often feels awkward asking people to write letters of recommendation because you are asking them to do some work. Here are some ways to make that process easier for them.
In this post I will focus mostly on undergraduate students applying for graduate programs, jobs, awards, etc.
Why are letters of recommendation important?
When you are applying for graduate programs, jobs, grants, or awards, there are likely to be a lot of applicants and the selection committee can only accept a few. Many applicants will look highly qualified on paper, so the selection committee will want to know more about the applicants from people who taught or supervised them.
If you are applying to graduate programs
Your current or former professors are the best people to ask. They are used to writing letters of recommendation and they know what graduate programs are looking for. In my experience letters from faculty members are longer and more detailed than those written by employers or members of your community.
The best way to contact recommenders is by email. If you ask them in person or by phone, send them a follow-up email as well. In the email:
• Begin by indicating that you are applying to graduate school, indicate the type of program to which you are applying (e.g., dental school, master’s program in French literature), and ask if the recommender is willing to write a letter for you
• Let them know the deadline. Be sure to ask them at least two weeks before the graduate program’s deadline so that the recommender has plenty of time to do this. Many graduate programs have deadlines in January, so you will need to ask recommenders in December, well before the Christmas holidays
• Remind them how they know you. Indicate the classes you took with them, the grades you got (they can look these up, but you will save them some time), and the topics of your papers and class presentations. If you were their research assistant or if they supervised your research project, write a paragraph describing what you did
• Add your pronouns after you sign your name, so that they don’t make a mistake when referring to you in the letter
• Let them know that you can send them your resumé/c.v. and your personal statement
• If the recommender declines or seems hesitant (e.g., they say they don’t know you very well, or are too busy, or even that they can’t write you a positive letter), don’t push them. Hopefully there is someone else you can ask.
• If the recommender agrees, send them your resumé/c.v. and your personal statement as soon as possible. You will also then list them as a recommender on your graduate school applications, which means the recommender will get an email from each graduate program with a link to upload their letter
• The graduate program will ask if you want to give up your right to see the letter. You should select that option—graduate programs expect that the letters of recommendation are written without you having seen them
• You will be notified when the graduate program has received letters of recommendation. If you haven’t received notification a few days before the deadline, send the recommender a polite reminder. Remember that your application will not be complete without these letters
• If you are in the fortunate position of having more recommenders than you need, feel free to ask an additional person. That way if someone is late your application will still be complete
If you are applying for jobs, volunteer positions, community internships, etc.
All the steps I’ve listed above also apply to jobs and other positions. In addition:
• It is important to describe the position to your recommenders. Send them a flyer or description of each position
• Sometimes the position announcement just asks you to list the names and contact information of potential recommenders and will contact them by phone or email if you are one of the top applicants. Be sure to ask your recommenders if you can list them. If they agree, send them all the information I’ve listed above so that they can speak knowledgeably about you if they get a call.
If you are applying for a grant or award
All the steps I’ve listed above also apply to letters of recommendation for grants and awards. In addition:
• It is important to describe the grant or award to your recommenders. Send them a description.
• Sometimes a faculty member may inform you that they are nominating you for a grant or award. Send them a thank you note or email, and also include your resumé/c.v.. It may contain additional information that they can include in their letter.