Who Can Write Letters of Recommendation for Grad School

How To Asking a Letter of Recommendation for Graduate School

By Indeed Editorial Team

Dec 8, 2021

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Passenger vehicle

Related video: How To Ask For a Recommendation Letter for College or Work: 3 Key Steps
In this video, certified career jitney Jenn at Indeed shares her recommended approach for requesting a recommendation letter.

A slap-up letter of recommendation from a professor, manager or colleague tin set your graduate school application apart from other candidates. For effective messages of recommendation, cull people who are acquainted with your skills, accomplishments and strengths. Y'all can ship a formal, written request to your called reference that includes data to assistance them write the letter. In this article, we explicate how to asking a recommendation alphabetic character for graduate school and provide a sample request to assistance you lot compose your own.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a document a professional or bookish reference writes to verify your skills, graphic symbol traits and attitude for the desired role or program. It tin too assist yous gain financial aid or employment as a instructor's assistant or inquiry assistant at your graduate school. When you utilize for a graduate school program, you typically submit the letter with your other awarding materials.

Recommendation Letter Format

Image description

Recommendation Letter Format

Introduction and statement of recommendation
Listing of specific reasons you are recommending them to the position
Personal story with evidence of their qualities (soft and difficult skills)
Closing argument with contact information
Signature

Related: Letter of Recommendation for College Students

How to request a recommendation letter for graduate schoolhouse

Aim to provide the people you lot choose with as much information well-nigh yourself as possible and so they can write thorough letters of recommendation. Here are steps that walk you through providing your reference with the right data to create an outstanding letter:

one. Cull who y'all desire to write your alphabetic character

Most graduate programs crave two to four letters of recommendation per application, and some programs may specify that messages of recommendation must exist submitted solely from professors or professors and employers.

Attempt creating a list of several people you work closely with either in college or work. Consider who you call back recognizes your work ethic and who can write a positive review of your accomplishments. If y'all're an undergraduate student, y'all may choose to ask a few of your professors or an academic advisor to write your letters. If y'all're no longer in college, yous may desire to ask your managing director and a colleague to write your letters. You might also consider a volunteer organizer or club president to write a letter for you.

2. Brand a formal request

Information technology'south professional courtesy to take a chat starting time before you submit a formal, written request for a recommendation. Try to schedule a coming together to enquire your chosen reference in person if they would be willing to write a recommendation for yous. If an in-person meeting isn't possible, you can inquire over the phone or send a brief email earlier following up with more than details.

Side by side, yous should email a formal, written request for the letter of recommendation. A formal request as well maintains professional person courtesy, and information technology provides information to assist them in composing the recommendation.

Related: How to Ask Someone to be your Reference: Email Examples

3. Provide data to the author

For your reference to write the nearly comprehensive letter of the alphabet of recommendation, y'all should provide as much data on the qualifications that make you suitable for the degree program as you can. Yous can email them items such as your resume, academic transcripts, information about the program you wish to enter and fifty-fifty previous graded work. You may also provide the personal essay you're including in your application that outlines what value you believe you bring to the degree plan and how it tin help you lot accomplish specific career goals. Here are some tips for providing the all-time data to the writers:

Choose people you value

Requesting a letter of the alphabet of recommendation from a professor or manager is an opportunity to show them y'all value their stance about your skills, so yous can also tell your reference why y'all chose to ask them for a recommendation. For example, if you've asked your accounting professor to write a letter for your Principal of Business Administration program application, you could explain how their classes inspired you to pursue an advanced degree in the field. Consider including specific examples of insights they provided you to testify how impactful their guidance has been.

Describe what you lot've learned from your referrer

If you've chosen an employer or coworker, you can discuss how your opportunity with them helped you grow equally a professional. You can highlight the skills they've helped you develop or the back up they've given you as you discover your ideal career path.

Remind the writer of your achievements

All of this information tin can remind your reference of your achievements, work ethic and positive character traits then they can tailor the letter to best represent the value you bring to the degree program.

Exist clear about the process

Yous should besides inform your reference of the submission process for the school. Some institutions let applicants to collect letters or their own to turn in with all of their materials. Other schools may crave the reference to send the letter directly to the decision commission, via e-mail, online awarding portal or traditional mail. Allow your reference know how they should send the letter, and consider providing them additional resource, such as an addressed and stamped envelope for their convenience.

4. Give plenty of fourth dimension to write the letter

Consider informing your reference of the application deadline in your request to give them enough time to thoughtfully consider your qualifications for that specific programme and write their recommendation. Effort to make your formal request every bit early as possible, such as a month before the awarding due date. You tin can provide your reference a deadline for the letter of recommendation that is before the application deadline to give yourself ample fourth dimension.

Yous can make up one's mind on the deadline you want to provide by because the number of responsibilities your reference has at the moment. If your coworker or director is handling an increment in work or your professor is in the middle of a heavy exam period during midterms or finals, it may be wise to give them more than than a calendar month.

5. Write a cheers letter

Consider writing a thank you letter to each of your references following your application to graduate schoolhouse. They've taken time out of their schedule to write the alphabetic character and supporting your pursuit of higher pedagogy and career development.

In your cheers note, thank them for their time and effort, and show appreciation for endorsing your qualifications. You can besides let them know if you've been accepted to your graduate programme yet and what your plans are for the future. This added gesture is another professional courtesy that is likely to strengthen your relationship with that reference, which can benefit you in the future should you need their endorsement again.

Read more: Guide to Give thanks-You lot Notes

Example of a request for a recommendation letter for graduate school

Review this example of a formal request to assistance you write your own request for a recommendation letter to graduate school:

To: BCopeland@swansoncollege.edu
Subject: Letter of Recommendation Request for Jill Smith

Dear Professor Copeland,

I am emailing to asking a alphabetic character of recommendation for Triton University's MFA in Visual Arts programme for the fall of 2019. I was fortunate enough to accept 2 classes with yous—Avant-garde Color Theory and Contemporary Techniques of Painting—and you mentored me for my concluding art projection. I am excited to build my portfolio and refine my artistic techniques while I earn my MFA in Visual Arts.

After researching many MFA programs, I chose TU'south program because of the school's philosophy to call up creatively and challenge the status quo. I call up you encouraged us to always challenge the rules in your classes, and I think this plan will make a not bad fit for me afterward taking your influential courses.

Yous were the first teacher to aid me explore surrealism and abstruse compositions. You saw how my work evolved afterward I plant a new art grade to pursue. If it weren't for your encouragement, I would have never entered into The Baste 34 painting competition. Because of your encouragement, I placed 3rd in the competition. Since then, I have created a various portfolio and grown in conviction. I'thousand hoping to i twenty-four hour period teach other young people how to think creatively and produce inspiring works of visual fine art.

The letter should be mailed directly to the Triton Academy's MFA program and postmarked no later than Nov fifteen, 2019. If you tin can write the recommendation letter, I will transport y'all a stamped and addressed envelope for your convenience.

I have attached samples of my portfolio, my academic transcripts and a list of competitions I've entered, including where I placed in them.

I know you lot are busy, so I appreciate your time and try if you decide to write this letter for me. Thank you for beingness such an inspiring professor and artist.

Best regards,
Jill Smith

Example of a thank you letter afterward receiving a recommendation

Your thank you letter may follow several different forms, but you lot can review this example to assistance you lot write yours:

Dear Professor Copeland,

Thank you for taking the time to write a letter of recommendation for me to enter Triton University's MFA in Visual Arts program. I know y'all accept a busy class schedule, and I capeesh your help.

Your assessment of my bookish achievements and artistic skills got me accustomed to the program, and they offered a instructor'south assistant position. I'm excited for what the future holds and what the program will teach me. I'm and then glad I had the privilege of having you as my mentor and my professor. My artistic success is partly thanks to you.

Kindest regards,
Jill Smith

poundsdowerent1968.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/recommendation-for-graduate-school