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First Things First: Confirm the Requirements for Letters of Recommendation

Let’s start with the basics. How many letters of recommendation are required for the program that you’re applying to? Some schools may require only one, while others may require a minimum of three or more. It’s best to check with the graduate schools’ admissions pages to confirm the specific requirements for each.

In the same way, it’s also important to verify who the university prefers to write the letters of recommendation. In some cases, each reference may need to be a faculty member, while other programs may leave things more open-ended. They may permit the writer to be anyone who can speak to your character, academic performance, or work ethic, such as a work supervisor, academic advisor, or other professional connection.

Once you know how many letters of recommendation you need and who meets the admissions criteria to write the letter, you can begin to develop a strategy for finding and asking people in your circle to write a letter of recommendation for you.

Next Step: Prepare to Ask Your References

When thinking about references, you may already know who you want to ask to write a letter of recommendation. Maybe there was a professor that you closely worked with as a research assistant, or maybe your boss at work knows about your plans to apply for grad school and has already offered to support you in that goal. However, if you’re realizing that you may not yet have enough people that you would feel comfortable asking to be a reference, here are some tips that may help.

Consider the criteria for individuals who can or should be a reference:

• They should meet the qualifications listed by the graduate school for who can send letters of recommendation (For example, if the school requires a faculty member, your reference should be a faculty member, etc.).
• The reference should be someone who knows you well. For example, if you have only met with an academic advisor once or twice for an appointment, that person, although they may technically meet the “category” requirement for being a reference, may not actually be able to be a reference since they don’t know you very well and may have only briefly met you. In situations like this, it would be better to build a new relationship with a different professional reference or see if there is anyone else in your circle who could better speak to your qualifications as an applicant.

If you don’t yet know enough people who could be a reference for you, here are some ideas for finding people who may be able to write a letter of recommendation:

• Ask a potential reference if they would be willing to meet once per month to talk about your plans and see if they have any advice.
• For faculty references, consider regularly attending their office hours to discuss. perspectives on graduate school and how to develop a competitive application.
• Get involved—participate in projects or volunteer activities while getting to know the faculty or staff supervising them.

By following some of these strategies, you may be able to expand your professional network of people who could be a reference.

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When and How to Ask Someone to Write a Letter of Recommendation

Once you know who you would like to ask to be your reference, it is often a good idea to ask at least 2-3 months in advance to allow ample time for people to submit their letters of recommendation to the school. “Why ask so early?” some might ask.

Here are some possible reasons to consider:

• Asking early helps you feel less stressed about deadlines and whether a reference will remember to submit everything on time.
• Asking early helps your references to not feel stressed or rushed and allows them to plan ahead to write your letter.
• Asking early gives you time to find a backup if for any reason one of your references has an emergency that prevents them from writing the letter on time.

Additionally, once you ask your references to write the letter of recommendation, here are some things that will help them prepare your letter:

• Email them the upload link and due date for the school so that they have all the details
• Attach a copy of your resume to summarize additional achievements and contributions they may want to review
• Provide your contact information so that they can reach out if they have any questions

Some important program-specific notes:

• For more information about requesting letters of recommendation for medical school, please review this helpful USF Pre-Health Advising article.
• For students applying to law school, please review this helpful USF Pre-Law Advising article.

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How to Follow Up on Your Letters of Recommendation

If the admissions office reaches out to say they have not yet received a letter of recommendation and the deadline is approaching, it is alright to reach out to your reference to see if they have had a chance to submit the letter but remain polite.

Here is a sample template you may refer to if needed:

Dear Dr.  ______,

Thank you for agreeing to be a reference for my letter of recommendation for <insert program/university>. With the deadline approaching on <insert date>, I wanted to reach out to see if I can answer any questions or provide any additional information to assist in this process. I understand your schedule is busy, and I appreciate your support.

If you have already submitted the letter to the admissions office, thank you again for your time and I will keep you updated on my progress.

Best,

<Your Name>
<Contact Information>

Additionally, be sure to send a thank you note to all your references for their assistance and keep them posted if you get accepted into your preferred program.

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With these ideas and tactics in mind, you can feel confident understanding the details necessary for making the letter of recommendation process go as smoothly as possible. As always, if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with a career coach through Handshake or reach out to us at tpa-careers@usf.edu or 813-974-2171.

Need to study for the GRE? Check out our Graduate Gateway Initiative discount offer on USF’s GRE preparation course.

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