Recommendation letters are often a critical component when applying to graduate schools.
Jeremy Conner, an academic advisor, says that recommendation letters are a helpful tool to universities. They provide context to a student’s character, personal strengths and communication skills. He says, “Recommendation letters are useful as a component for potential graduate applications as there is no sole determining factor that establishes your strength as a candidate.”
“Recommendation letters provide context of your academic prowess and personal capabilities.” – Academic Advisor Jeremy Conner
There are graduate schools that conduct interviews, however, as not all do, recommendation letters add personality to a student’s resume and transcripts.
Requesting a recommendation letter requires professionalism. Conner mentions the importance of tact. “Courtesy is necessary, but communication of your need for a letter of recommendation can vary depending on who you are asking,” he says. “You should have a solid understanding of that recommender’s preferred means of communication along with your own; make a judgement call based on those factors. Personally, I would look at doing in-person as I prefer face-to-face communication and it can help better portray gratitude in your request.”
Conner says that students should consider how well they know the professor or recommender. He says, “Consider their ability to assess your academic performance and how it may impact your interest in graduate studies.” Choosing a recommender a student has “good rapport” with or a professor that students have taken multiple times are good choices as they, “will often be able to articulate your strengths more clearly,”
If a student did not do as well in a class, but still made an impression on the professor, Conner says, “A recommender’s capability to write a letter does not boil down to their rating or the perceived performance. Consider faculty that are aligned with your research interests, ones that you took multiple courses with, and/or ones that witnessed your best academic successes, as they would be able to sincerely speak about your strengths in the letter of recommendation.”
Respect a recommender’s time and consider their workload. Conner says that a month or two’s notice is ideal. Conner says, “You are asking the recommender to take time from their schedule to write a letter to elevate your application as a potential graduate student.”
Not every school or program requires recommendation letters, so it is up to the student to gather the information they need to succeed.
