How to Get Great Letters of Recommendation

One of the most important aspects of higher education is the development of personal relationships with professors that can result in letters of recommendation. It is widely recognized that both online and traditional schools value recommendation letters highly when considering prospective students, as do future employers. When searching for your first job, glowing letters of recommendation can be the key to getting your foot in the door.

Here is a quick guide to getting effective letters of recommendation from your instructors and professors.

1. Select Your College Mentors Wisely

Throughout your education, you will probably encounter dozens of professors with a variety of interests and personalities. When seeking a letter of recommendation, make sure that you choose an academic mentor whose interests coincide with you own. It's also important that you get along with this professor, and that he/she is willing to take the time to help you with any academic-related issues. A recommendation letter from such an instructor can be extremely helpful.

2. Make a Good Impression

It is vital that you make a positive, lasting impression upon the instructor who is writing your letter of recommendation. This can be done by taking several courses with a single professor, or by visiting the professor during office hours to discuss class materials and/or personal goals.

3. Search for Professors with Diverse Skills

Although you should have a letter written by an instructor who works in your field of choice, you should also find a professor who can show that you are not limited to a single area of study. Try to locate several professors and instructors who are familiar with your personality and abilities, but also have seen you work in different contexts. When you ask professors to compose recommendation letters, choose those who have seen your creative side and are able to address your most significant qualities.

4. Be Specific When Requesting Letters

Although it's almost always okay to ask former professors or instructors for letters of recommendation, it's best to describe specifically what the letter is for and to include past work to aid them along the way. For example, you might include assignments completed in his/her class, or remind the professor of a specific lecture or topic you particularly enjoyed. Instructors are more likely to write effective, helpful letters if they feel that their class had a significant impact on your educational development.

5. Stay Organized and Be Thorough

Whether they teach in a classroom or in an online environment, many professors and instructors have at least one thing in common--they're strapped for time. Most professors understand the importance of the letters that they write, and work very hard on them. You should try and make their job as easy as possible by notifying letter writers early (weeks or even months in advance), and by organizing addresses, deadlines, and specific requests so they are easy to understand. You also may want to deliver this information at once, in a single document, so that your recommenders won't have to piece together all of the details and potentially make mistakes.

Always Mind your Manners

After the process is done, make sure to send thank-you notes to everyone who wrote a letter on your behalf. You also may want to update them on your academic decisions and successes. It is important to maintain positive relationships with your recommenders. Their letters can be extremely beneficial when seeking to advance your career or education.

Source
The National Honor Center in Psychology