Letters of Recommendation

Recommendation letters are weighted heavily for most grad programs. Colleges typically request 3 references and want at least some of them to come from faculty. Work supervisors from jobs in a related field are also a good option.

Tips

• If you’re unsure that 1-3 faculty know you well enough to write strong recommendations, schedule meetings with them now to introduce yourself and ask for their help. Tell them why you chose to reach out to them: maybe you took a class with them (remind them of comments they made about your work) or are interested in their research expertise
• Ask each recommender if they would feel comfortable making a strong recommendation
• Make it easy for the letter writer – give them your resume, personal statement, and some work samples if they agree to write one
• Allow 4-6 weeks for a professor to complete a letter. Give them a deadline for finishing, and consider making this date earlier than the final due date
• Confirm the grad programs received the letters
• Send thank you letters to your recommenders and let them know where you get accepted and enroll
• Have a back-up recommender in case of emergency