Letters of Recommendation (LoR) may be used for graduate school applications, scholarships, jobs and more. LoR provide a third-party assessment of your skills, character, and potential. They help bring a personal touch from someone who can vouch for your character and capabilities. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself and think about before approaching someone to write a LoR for you. You want to make sure that the person has seen you in an academic or professional setting, and can attest to your character, behavior, and skills.  

• Have we had meaningful interactions?
• Can they speak to specific examples of my work?
• Have they seen my writing and analytical skills?
• Do they know my career/ research goals? If not, when can I talk to them before asking? 
• Would they write an enthusiastic (not just positive) letter?
• Are they in my field or related field? If applying to a specific psychology program, getting letters from psychology over other professors would be the most beneficial. 
• When was the last time I reached out or interacted with them? 

The letter writer should generally be someone who you have interacted with in the last year. If you are thinking about taking a gap year, asking for a letter of recommendation before you graduate is a good way to ask in person, and potentially write it in advance if you have applicant portals/LSAC set up. If you end up obtaining a LoR for one year, and end up applying the subsequent year, reach out to your letter writer before submitting it as they may want to update it. 

If your potential letter writer is a professor: 

• What course did I take with them? Were there multiple?
• What grade/s did I earn?
• Did I do any projects in the class?
• Did I attend office hours? 

General Tips

• If applying for a master's program, get letters from people who know different aspects of you to diversify your application. If you're applying for a research position or PhD, if you can, focus on professors.
• Prioritize field-related faculty and more recent relationships.
• If you have the chance to initially ask in person, take it! If not, email correspondence is the professional way to go.
• Ask at least 4-6 weeks in advance to give the person enough time to write it. This will also assure you have sufficient time to find another letter writer if your request for a letter is denied. 
• Always waive your rights to see the letter on your graduate school application. 

To make it easier for your letter writers to construct a strong and detailed LoR, it's important to put together some helpful materials. These include: 

• Resume/CV
• Program Spreadsheet
• Personal Statement/SoP
• Brag Sheet

Look at what your applications are asking for in regards to a resume or CV. If applying for a PhD program, it is important to provide your Curriculum Vitae (CV) including all your educational and research background. If you are applying to law school, your resume can be up to two pages. Typically, a one-page resume is sufficient for most master's programs.  

For a program spreadsheet, create a spreadsheet detailing each school you are applying to with a description of the graduate program, relevant faculty that you are applying to work with (if applicable), the letter submission deadline, and where to submit the letter. Please note: most LoR are now submitted online through a link automatically sent to letter writers when you enter their information into your graduate or law school applications. 

Including a draft of your personal essays will help the letter writer contextualize your application materials! 

A brag sheet helps your recommender write the letter in a holistic manner, giving insight to other aspects of your experience.

If they ask for any other materials (such as a doc detailing how you met and the courses your took with them), make sure to provide it.  

When requesting a letter of recommendation, give a reminder of some meaningful moments in your professional relationship and what you're interested in when reaching out. Here is an example when asking a professor. 

Here is an example when asking a supervisor. 

Once they have agreed to write your letter of recommendation, send them your materials to help them write. 
 

Once you have submitted your application, make sure to express your gratitude for their time and effort.