Letters of recommendation are powerful endorsements for your next steps. Whether that is graduate school, scholarships, internships, research, or study abroad, these letters can be pivotal in making your application successful. They provide context about your abilities, character, and drive that your application materials and grades alone cannot capture. Choosing who and how you ask is key to a strong and meaningful recommendation.
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Initiate early. The best letters arise from authentic relationships developed over time. As soon as you start considering future opportunities that require letter of recommendation such as graduate school, think about who might know you well enough to write a recommendation. If you cannot think of someone immediately, do not panic. You can begin developing these connections!
- Reserve at least four weeks before applications are due, but two or three months is ideal for graduate school or major scholarships.
- Recognize faculty and staff have busy seasonal workloads (weeks closer to finals or when grades need to be submitted); early requests allow for thoughtful, detailed letters.
- If you need multiple letters (e.g. three for a program), secure extra options in case someone becomes unavailable. Life happens and at times a professor who was eager to write you a letter may be in a position where they cannot get it submitted.