You can walk them through how much you value your experiences working with them, how their input will be significant to your application, and what you hope to achieve from the graduate program. Perhaps they helped you learn essential skills, or they inspired you to pursue a particular area of study.
If possible, try to hold this conversation in person. Although email is efficient, it often leaves room for interpretation in messages. With an ask as crucial as this, your contact must know how important this is to you and how thankful you are for their consideration. Receiving lukewarm letters of recommendation can actually do more harm than good. If they do deny your request at this stage, consider it a gift; you will still have an opportunity to find someone else who will write an impactful letter on your behalf, and you can avoid including a generic recommendation in your application.
If possible, you may also want to build in some buffer time to your request and ask them to provide the letter a week or two before the actual deadline. That way, even if your recommender faces an unexpected obstacle or delay, you can still ensure your materials are submitted on time. To help ensure that your request gets completed on time and to your standards, be sure to provide your recommenders with everything they may need to write a letter on your behalf. Gently guide recommenders to ensure each letter of recommendation:.
Be very clear about what you need from them and what the admissions committee is looking for. A personal letter that connects the program with your work and your professional goals will have the highest value. Whether you make your initial request in person or in writing , be sure to follow up and provide any relevant information the recommender may need to craft their letter. Depending on the situation, this might include:.
Providing these materials upfront will remind the reviewer of your most important skills and help add color and context to each letter. Still, if done politely and appropriately, this is useful in ensuring letters are written and submitted on time—and that they are the best reflection of you.
If possible, consider politely asking recommenders if they can send you a copy of the letter before they submit it. Just remember to remain polite, receptive, and grateful for their time and energy throughout the process, and limit requests for edits or re-writes to one or two maximum. Remember: Some programs ask if applicants want to waive their right to review recommendation letters submitted on their behalf.
Hearing from you may be the prompt they need to get to work or follow up and ask for further input. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are comfortable writing a letter like this for me. Choose your references based on those who know you best. It may seem impressive to have a letter of recommendation from someone who's high up on the corporate ladder, but if they don't know you, it will show. You will want to choose someone who can confidently write about your career and talents in a convincing way.
Getting a generic letter of recommendation could ultimately hurt your chances of getting the job. It is generally best to send your request for a recommendation at least 2 weeks before you will need it.
This way, your reference will have enough time to properly prepare and write a great recommendation letter. As the saying goes, a little flattery goes a long way.
Start off your request by letting your reference know how much you enjoyed working with them, how you value their opinion, or what you've learned from them. However, don't go overboard or you'll come across as insincere. Ask for a recommendation in a straightforward way, mentioning the purpose of the letter and the deadline.
Be sure to phrase your request politely, as your references are under no obligation to give you a recommendation letter. Maybe you're a hermit that never sees the light of day.
Trust me, I know what that's like. I'm a radiology resident Whatever the reason, sometimes you have to request a letter of recommendation from a professor with which you have had little to no contact.
It would be best if you at least scored well in the course. Beggars can't be choosers in this situation, so you don't have the luxury of allowing your professor to say no.
It's time to dispense with the "easy out" and be firm in your request. You may not remember me was a very challenging subject for me and I was proud of the I received in your class. Because of the way I study it has been difficult for me to develop a relationship with my professors.
I enjoyed , so I decided to start by asking you. Would it be possible for us to meet and discuss the possibility of you writing a strong letter of recommendation for my application? I would be more than happy to meet with you at your convenience. I realize that writing a letter of recommendation would be a burden on your time and it means a lot to me that you would take the time to read and consider my request. Now that you have something to start with, go out there and get some letters of recommendation!
Make sure to tailor the email specifically for your needs. The more personal it comes across, the more success you will have. My name is Ben. I'm a resident physician and I help future medical professionals write great personal statements.
If you need help, check out our eBooks and editing services. Let me know if you have any questions. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thank you for the very helpful templates! Do you have any recommendations about what the subject of the email should be? You could try something intriguing like, "Quick question from a former student. I would not suggest copying the templates word for word.
Please share some of your successful email templates in the comments. Thank you for the very helpful post.
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