Whether you are applying for an internship, a job, or to graduate school, as you get closer to graduation, it's likely that you'll need to request one or more letters of recommendation. Because every discipline is different it's always a good idea to check with your Academic Advisor about what is appropriate for your discipline, but here you'll find some general guidelines. This information is intended to ensure that good letters of recommendation are submitted in a timely fashion. At the bottom of this page are some links that students seeking letters of recommendation may find useful.
Laying the Groundwork
A good letter is important as a potential gateway to graduate schools, fellowships, and jobs. However, good letters are built on: (1) the foundation that students create for themselves (e.g., strong work ethic, talent, and motivation); and (2) the relationship that students have with the letter writer. It is critical to cultivate relationships with individuals who can advocate for you or know you well enough to convey a strong sense of who you are. If you have not done so, you need to do the work to foster those relationships. Building such relationships takes time. Start early in your college career by meeting with faculty during their office hours to discuss class material or topics that interest you or by volunteering to do research with a professor.
Who to Ask?
The most effective letters offer details about YOU and who you are as a student, researcher, etc. Therefore, you want a letter from a professor who knows you well. In short, good letters are valuable, but letters that are less strong, weak, or negative will only hinder your application. Therefore, it is important that you reflect on your experiences and performance in our classes and your interactions with faculty before you ask for letters of recommendation. When you ask a professor for a letter, it is acceptable (and in fact, likely preferred) that you ask, “Would it be possible for you to write me a strong letter of recommendation?”
Timing is Everything
You need to plan to provide all materials and information to your letter writer(s) 5-6 weeks before the earliest application deadline. This means you need to approach potential letter writers at least two months before your earliest application deadline. That way, if a person you ask to write a letter declines, you have time to approach other potential letter writers. Like you, faculty value their time off. Therefore, you should account for breaks, such as Thanksgiving and winter intersession, when calculating the appropriate time to approach faculty about writing a letter. If a letter is due Jan. 31, you need to provide the following information (see below) to your letter writer(s) by early December, at the latest, in order to account for the winter break. This means you will need to approach faculty by the middle of the fall semester, at the latest, to see who will be willing to write a letter on your behalf, so plan ahead. Never list a person as someone who can provide a recommendation if you have not asked the person first!
Supporting Materials
Once you've secured your letter-writers, check with them to see what kind of information they need from you in order to write the letter. Here are some materials you might need to be prepared to provide to letter-writers, keeping in mind that individual faculty may request additional/different materials:
- A description of what you did in their classes or research lab. If there are particular assignments, projects, or activities that you want the letter-writer to emphasize, let them know. A brief summary should suffice.
- A brief account of why the program, fellowship, or job interests you, and why you are a strong candidate for it.
- Resume (for a job) or curriculum vita (for graduate school)
- Statement of purpose or essay that you are submitting to the program/school or the job description
- Clear instructions for submitting each letter, including:
- A list of deadlines for letters of recommendation. This may be the same as or different from the application deadline.
- The name of the specific program, fellowship, or job, and the address, including the name of the individual to whom the letter should be addressed.
- The type of submission, for example, email, online, U.S. Postal Service.
- For graduate programs, include a list of the professors who you are interested in working with along with a description of the program.
In short, you need to provide your letter-writer(s) with all relevant forms, accompanying instructions, and stamped envelopes addressed to the program/fellowship/job for letters submitted via U.S. Postal Service or email addresses for email submissions. Students often find it helpful to stay organized using an Excel worksheet. Each row can be one program you are applying to, and then there can be columns with instructions, how to submit, who to submit to, deadline, etc. You can then just send that worksheet to each professor in advance of the first deadline.
For all recommendation forms (online and paper versions), the name, affiliation, and contact information of your letter writer needs to be completed by you before you pass on the forms to the letter writer. Locate the faculty's contact information and use the following template:
Name: [insert name of faculty], Ph.D.
Title: [insert Assistant/Associate/Full] Professor
Address: Department of [insert Major/Program]
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Phone: [insert phone]
Email: [insert email address]
Professors will most likely submit your letters on time (though, perhaps "just" on time). Still, it is acceptable (and sometimes preferred) to send a polite reminder a week or two before the due date if you know the letter has not yet been submitted.
Useful Links
SSU Career Services provides information useful to students applying to graduate school or entering the job market, including:
- How to ask for a letter of recommendation
- How to write a resume or curriculum vitae
- How to write a cover letter
Additional websites offering information specifically about requesting letters of recommendation:
- Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
- Accepted - How to Request a Strong Letter of Recommendation
- Thought Co. - Dos and Don'ts for Requesting a Recommendation Letter
- CSU Long Beach - Requesting Letters of Recommendation
- Hanover College - Letters of Recommendation
- University Affairs - How to Ask for a Reference Letter
These guidelines were adapted from the West Chester University Psychology Department webpage.