Happy Friday, Reader, you made it! I hope it's been an excellent week.
Today we’re talking about letters of recommendation.
Graduate application reviewers skim applications quickly before reading the content. When it comes to recommendations, they're much more likely to fully read the letters that seem detailed, specific, and thoughtful.
With a solid letter-requesting strategy, your recommendations have a better chance of catching reviewers' attention (in the good way).
Admit it: Most people think asking for a letter of recommendation is a single question with a confirmation in response.
False.
As someone who's written over 100 letters of recommendation and reviewed thousands more, I can tell when a letter was written by someone who:
A) Doesn't know the person they're recommending well
B) Didn't have - or take enough - time to write a good letter
C) Had a lukewarm experience with the person they're recommending but felt morally obligated to write a letter when asked
D) Genuinely cares about the person but had no direction or idea of how to write a letter for graduate school
These letters are more common than you'd expect.
(The giveaway is usually formatting, length, and specific examples - or lack thereof.)
The truth is, you have more control over the quality of your letter than you realize.
Here are the starting action steps to a letter-requesting strategy so your letters get a full read, not an indifferent skim.
Action Step 1: Ask someone who actually knows you.
The best letter-writers are those who have seen your abilities and strengths in action, your drive to go back to school, and have the bandwidth to write a strong letter (you can ask about this directly, too).
Action Step 2: Ask early enough that they won't be rushed - even if they'll still submit at the last minute.
As a rule, ask at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance, earlier is even better.
The initial "ask" can be months before you're ready to apply, with a promise of following up with the formal request closer to the deadline.
Pro tip: Give YOUR deadline, not the program's deadline.
(Any time I'm asked to write a letter I always request a due date that will help them sleep at night. For letter writers, it's an item on our to-do list. For applicants, having a single letter missing from their application near the deadline is a major - and avoidable - source of anxiety.)
You might also ask if they have a busy season in life or work that will overlap with your submission dates. If so, you can work together to have them write sooner.
Action Step 3: Meet with your recommenders before they write.
It serves both of you to be on the same page.
Especially if you're requesting different letters for multiple programs.
For the recommender, it's a chance to ask questions about the process and for any details about you that they can include.
As the applicant, this is your chance to show your excitement for this next step academically, remind them of assignments or projects where you excelled, and go over submission details and dates.
Action Step 4: Give them everything they need in writing.
Whether it's a single email, a shared Google doc, or even a physical folder with everything printed - provide this well in advance.
At a minimum, plan to give them copies of:
- Your resume
- Your personal statement (or a draft) if it's ready in time
- A few sentences about why you’re pursuing this degree, what strengths you’ll bring to the program, and what you hope to get out of it to achieve your career goals
- A list of points they can highlight about you better than anyone else - bonus points if these align with values of the school or program where you're applying
- Instructions on how, when, and where to submit the letter
- A primary contact name, job title, and physical mailing address for the specific program - this is used in typical form letters
Additional information you might share:
- Your unofficial transcript
- Links to the programs' websites and admissions pages
Depending on the graduate program, many ask for an academic reference - i.e. a faculty member. This article covers the above steps in more detail, plus a focus on the best time to ask faculty based on their unique schedules.
Take a deep breath.
Depending on the program, letters of recommendation are not the most important part of your application - it's usually your personal statement.
However, if there are any aspects of your application that make reviewers pause and question if you're ready or if you'd be a good fit, your letters of recommendation can address those with proof of why you'll succeed.
You've got this.
What I'm working on ✍
While this partnership will be formally announced with time, I can share that I've recently finished the slide deck on an upcoming staff training for writing stellar letters of recommendation for supervisees.
It's something I've wanted to provide for a while, because it's a skill that most people are never taught. (And I have strong feelings about using bland templates when the applicant is exceptional.)
I'll present it this fall and will let you know how it goes!
Writing letters of recommendation was one of the highlights of working at Ohio State for over a decade. For some, I actually had to rein it in to stay under 2 pages because I loved singing their praises.
What these applicants had in common was that they all met with me and shared extensive information on themselves and the program. When I sat down to write, it was all in one place and I could stay completely focused on their letter.
If you've been wondering how to get letters of recommendation that reviewers fully read - you know exactly what to do next.
Where are you with letters right now - still deciding who to ask, or preparing what to share with them? Hit reply and let me know, I read every response.
Thanks for being here, make it a great weekend!
Dr. Jena
P.S. Would a training on writing standout letters of recommendation help your organization open doors for its members? Let's connect!