How to Get Outstanding Letters of Recommendation
Most awards will require 2-5 letters of recommendation. These are letters from other individuals in support of your application. Even though others actually write the letters, you can influence their quality by selecting the most appropriate recommenders and providing them with helpful information.
Think Ahead
- Cultivate relationships with those who you may ask in the future for recommendations (e.g., professors in whose classes you excel and who get to know you beyond simply as an academically strong student; volunteer, work, and internship supervisors, etc.).
Select Recommenders Wisely
- Identify individuals who can provide quality recommendations—individuals who have credibility and have gotten to know you well enough to testify strongly in support of your character, academic ability, initiative, accomplishments, oral and written communication skills, interests, and preparedness, capability, and motivation for applying
- Seek a mix of people who can talk about different aspects of your life and work
The Ask
- Ideally at least one month before the deadline
- Do not ask before or after class or via email, make an appointment or stop by during office hours - Explain why you think he or she is the best person to recommend you
- Let them know who else is writing and what the other people will be talking about - Provide supporting materials (resume, application, essay, transcript, best examples of your work for this person)
- Respect and listen for “no”
- Confidentiality is your friend; provide any necessary forms and signatures
- Ask each recommender to provide a draft of the letter to Craig Kelley for review no later than one week before the deadline
The Deadline
- Clear instructions (postmark vs. due dates)
- Provide the address where the letter is to be mailed or email address if the letter is to be sent electronically
- Follow-up reminder 4-5 days beforehand; ask for confirmation
Follow-up
- Send a thank-you card one week prior to the submission deadline; this also serves as a reminder
- Keep them updated throughout the process