Asking a professor for a letter of recommendation comes with certain expectations. Professors don’t give them out to just anyone. You want a letter of recommendation that showcases your skills, abilities, and personality. Making sure that it’s a glowing recommendation is your number one priority.
Professors are busy. They are grading assignments, teaching classes, and meeting with their students one on one. Asking for a letter of recommendation is a normal thing for many professors, but it all comes down to asking at the right time and in the right way.
As a college student, taking a full course load, working a part-time job, and managing your social life gets crazy. Taking classes at a collegiate level is already difficult, and attempting to build relationships with each one of your professors is a whole different ball game. But it can turn out to be one of the most important things you can do during your academic career.
1. Build Relationships with your Professors
You will have several classes each semester with different professors that all have the potential to help you get into grad school, your dream job, or just help you progress in your career. Building relationships with your professors is a must if you want to succeed. Make sure to remember to be kind and helpful to each one of them. If you have a question, make sure to bring it to them in a non-threatening way. Getting on a professor’s bad side will ensure they won’t say the best things about you, or won’t be willing to write a letter of recommendation at all.
2. Create a Summary Document
Looking for the best way to ask a college professor for a letter of recommendation? Provide them with a summary document. This summary could contain different courses you took with that professor, any references to assignments you would like to highlight, and even moments when you exceeded the professor’s expectations. Don’t forget to include your overall grade in each course.
3. Provide a Copy of Your Resume
Including a copy of your resume with your summary document will be one of the best resources for your professor. Providing the professor with your tailored resume will allow him or her the chance to highlight different skills or results you placed on your resume. Provide additional information to your professor about the type of school, job, or qualifications you are focusing on. This will help them focus on those specifics throughout their letter of recommendation.
Read More: If you’re struggling to create a resume, check out guide on How to Write an ATS Friendly Resume.
4. Meet The Professor in Person
Are you still in school? Do you still live near campus? Try to schedule an in-person meeting with your professor. If they’re comfortable providing you a letter of recommendation, odds are they would be willing to meet with you after hours. This would provide a perfect time to gather their contact information or email to send over the documents outlined above.
5. Clearly State What You’re Looking For
If you’re not clear on what you’re looking for, the professor will be even more unsure on what to provide. State precisely what you would like them to highlight in your summary document, and if you want the letter to be general, for a specific job, or for a grad school application.
Additional Questions You May Be Wondering
-How Much Time Should You Give a Professor to Write a Letter of Recommendation?
It’s essential to respect each professor’s schedule. If at all possible, it is recommended that you provide several weeks of notice before you will need the recommendation letter. This will provide the professor plenty of time to go through the material you have provided them and allow you to be successful. The last thing a professor wants to do over the weekend is create a letter of recommendation for a student that asked them last minute. Be the student who impresses the professors by asking weeks in advance.
-How to Remind a Professor to Write a Letter of Recommendation
Ideally, at this point, you already have contact information for the professor and are able to send a follow-up email. It’s recommended that you provide the professor one week to 10 days before you send a follow-up. If the professor hasn’t gotten back to you within that time frame, send a quick email stating similar to the following:
“Dear [Professor], I wanted to touch base with you about the letter of recommendation I requested for my [insert purpose here]. I understand that it’s a busy time and that you have classes to teach. If you could write and email me back the letter of recommendation by [Due Date]. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information from me. Thanks again for being willing to write a letter of recommendation.” This will provide you with the best chance of receiving a response back from the professor.
The most important thing to remember when reaching out to any of your previous professors is to be kind. The last thing a professor wants to do is write a letter of recommendation for a student that has been impatient or rude to them in the past. You will have the best chance of success by implementing a little bit of kindness in your daily interactions.
By Collin Gibeault
