3. Explain exactly what you need written. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

4 Things You Need To Do When Asking For A Letter Of Recommendation

Trust me, it's not that scary!

68
4 Things You Need To Do When Asking For A Letter Of Recommendation

In This Article:

As fall comes around, so does the admissions process for many upper graduate and doctoral programs. Often times, judging from personal experience, asking for letters of recommendation is one of the scariest facets of the whole process. It's hard to know who to ask and how to ask. But, don't vilify your professors, because, news flash, they want to see you succeed! During your educational career, you've probably had so many amazing professors who have inspired you, so by asking them they will feel extremely honored to be able to guide you during this process. So, here are my four best tips when asking for letters of recommendation. Trust me, it's not that scary!

1. Introduce yourself.

media.giphy.com

It's okay if you weren't your professor's star pupil in their three hundred student class. Also, it's pretty likely that if you attended a large university, your professor will not remember you amongst their masses of students. So, when asking for a letter of recommendation, whether through email or in person, always introduce yourself. Remind your professor what classes you took with them, the grades you received, and your future goals and ambitions. It's important to develop a friendly relationship with your professor, so when they are writing their letter they have a better understanding of who you are and what you achieved academically. Also, I find it beneficial to mention any academic awards you may have received, in fact, sending your professor your resume will allow them to incorporate more personal details into your letter.

2. Tell them how they inspired you.

media.giphy.com

This is super important! Not only for yourself, but also for your professor, it's important to know why you're asking that specific professor. Did your Spanish professor influence your love for the culture and now you want to pursue a master's in Spanish architecture? Try to connect the material you learned in their class to your future goals. This will allow your professor to write about your presence in their class, and it will shine a light on your student experience. This section will be particularly important if you're applying to a further education program.

3. Explain exactly what you need written.

media.giphy.com

Don't expect your professor to know what the program you're applying to is looking for. Professors shouldn't hold all of the fault and responsibility for your admissions decision. Do some research and tell your professor to mention specific talking points in order to garner the attention of the admissions team. Some programs prefer students who are independent and good communicators, so ask your professor to mention how you excel in both of these. Or, if you're applying for a scholarship that is based on volunteer work, ask your professor to talk about how you volunteered at your local animal shelter.

4. Thank them endlessly.

media.giphy.com

As mentioned previously, letters of recommendation are extremely important for upper-level education admissions. After standardized test scores and GPAs are analyzed, letters of recommendation are subsequently looked at. Please, take the time to thank these professors during the process and after the admissions decision has been released. Keep them updated on your educational journey and let them know the positive effect their letter had on your life. I strongly encourage you to write them a thank-you letter once they send you their letter because, after all, they could've very well said no to writing you a letter.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

6 Unrealistic Expectations Society Has For Young Adults

Don't let the thesaurus-inspired vocabularies in our résumés fool you. We're actually just big kids.

2363
boy in adult clothes

Well over four feet tall and 100 pounds in weight, many of us "young adults" of the world still consider ourselves children. Big, working, college-attending, beer-drinking children. We may live on our own, know how to cook noodles, and occasionally use a planner, but don't be fooled; the youthful tendencies that reside within us still make their way into our daily lives. From choosing to stay up until 3:00 a.m. playing video games on a school night to going out in 30 degree weather without a coat, we still make decisions that our parents and grandparents would shake their heads at in disappointment. So why are we expected to know exactly how to be a wise, professional, sensible adult? It's not that we're irresponsible (for the most part, anyway). It's that we are young, inexperienced, and still have the sought-after, enthusiastic mentality that we can do and be whatever we want, which has not yet been tarnished by the reality of the world. These are just a few of the unrealistic expectations that society has for young adults.

Keep Reading...Show less
pizza
Fandango

There are a lot of foods in this world, but there is only one dish that stands above the rest: Pizza. If you're close to me or at least know who I am, then you know that I'm totally obsessed with pizza. It's one of my favorite things to eat and I will NEVER turn down a slice, even if it doesn't have my favorite toppings. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking about pizza. I even sleep with a pizza pillow every night! There are many reasons why pizza stands above all other foods, and here are just a couple reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
sex and the city
Warner Bros. Television

1. You don't have to feel guilty about flirting with customers for tips (or just for shits and giggles).

2. You can be obnoxiously flirtatious with anyone you want. You are free to be that girl that flirts with everybody and makes 'em all smile (it's especially fun when the guy is as cute as Collin Jost). No shame.

3. Making random men nervous with your superior beauty and intense eye contact just for the hell of it is really amusing and empowering.

4. No one gives two poops if ya legs are hairy (your man shouldn't either but *Kermit the Frog meme* That's none of my business)

5. The toilet seat will remain down.

6. There's more money to spend on yourself.

7. There's always this secret butterfly in your tummy that marvels at the possibility that when you go out this weekend you're gonna meet someone super handsome/wonderful/prince-like and have this moment of dazzling dalliance.

8. Nothing is that serious...you can take it all with a grain of salt...you don't owe anybody anything.

9. You can dance with anyone and everyone...or no one (Hello frat boi w/ glasses, I see you).

10. You don't have to fluff anyone's ego but your own.

11. Free drinks and dinners from single guys (It's not taking advantage if they're offering; a girl's gotta eat).

12. You have more time to learn how to love and improve yourself rather than constantly pouring your energy into another person.

13. You don't have to sacrifice your cheesy Jen Aniston rom-coms and Gilmore Girls for his Fast and Furious/other dumb action movie featuring blonde that is only in the movie to supply a relationship to the male lead and to make him look more masculine/empowered in juxtaposition (In other words, you don't have to deal with a guy being a crabby Patty while you watch your cute movies).

14. You can daydream about what your future husband may be doing right now (and not get stressed/guilty out because you're not picturing your current boyfriend that's crazy about you as your future husband).

15. There is more time to be spent with your girlfriends.

Girls Night In
Milk + Blush

We've all been there - you've been saying since Tuesday after French that this weekend is the weekend. You're finally going to break out those new heels and actually put on eyeliner on and make this Friday night be one for the memory books! That is, of course, until Girls Night Out turned into...Girls Night In.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

What Is Your Zodiac GIF?

Characteristics of the astrological signs, explained through GIFS.

858
zodiac
Wordpress

Whether you believe astrology is a legitimate "science" or not, we have all found ourselves looking at our horoscopes from time to time. The 12 astrological signs all fall under one of four elements: air, water, earth, or fire. Air signs are rational, social, and love to communicate with others. Water signs are are emotional, intuitive, and mysterious. Fire signs tend to be passionate, creative, and adventurous. Earth signs are conservative, realistic, and loyal.

Each sign is determined by the relative positions of celestial bodies to ourselves at our moment of birth, which is said to influence our personalities. Find your zodiac GIF below, based on the traits and characteristics provided by each sign.

***Disclaimer: GIFS are meant to be lighthearted and are based on descriptions of signs from http://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments