Think about how to ask a professor to be a reference before you meet in person. Make notes about a few projects or papers that you completed for the professor and what their comments were on your work. You can bring a copy of your work to share with them during your meeting.
You can visit your professor during office hours or request a meeting outside of office hours. Email may be the best way to schedule a meeting compared to approaching the professor after a class to request one. Email allows the professor some time to look at their schedule and figure out a good date and time.
Bring the necessary materials to your meeting with your professor, and if they say yes, provide them with:
- A list of graduate schools you are applying to and the due dates of those applications
- Your transcripts, or at least the grades you received in the professor's class
- A copy of your resume, including academic achievements
- Your personal statement or a short description of your goals in graduate school and your career afterward
When you arrive at the meeting, you’ll need to let the professor know that you’re there to request a letter of recommendation for grad school. Not much explanation is necessary, as professors likely hear these requests on a regular basis. You could briefly let your professor know that you’re excited to pursue your interest in a certain field or topic and what you hope to accomplish in grad school and beyond.
You might say something like, “I was hoping to talk to you about my plans for grad school. I’m interested in studying (insert field or topic here) and I wanted to ask if you have the time to write a letter of recommendation for me, please.”
During this meeting, be sure to discuss how the professor should submit the letter of recommendation if they agree to write one. This process will be determined by the schools you are applying to.
In some cases, they may need to log in to a special portal and complete their letters digitally. If your professor will need to complete the letter of recommendation online, be sure to collect and share all the information they will need, such as your full name and other personal information about you. You can attempt to log in to the portal to see what information is required, or you may need to call the school to find out how to provide that information to your professors.
Other applications may be on specific forms with a space for the professor to write their letter. Print these out and bring them with you to your meeting. Before you leave the form with your professor, fill out the rest of the information so it is ready to be turned in as soon as they complete their portion.
Some letters of recommendation can simply be letters written by the professor. They may need to be mailed or placed in a sealed envelope with their signature across the top and submitted along with the rest of your application materials. If this is the case, arrange a specific day to pick up the letter.
If a professor needs to mail the letter directly to the school, you’ll need to provide them with an addressed and stamped envelope they can use. When you make this process as streamlined and easy as possible, it shows your professor that you respect and value their time.
As important as it is to know what to include in a letter of recommendation and how to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation, it’s equally as important to know what not to do. Here are a few missteps you’ll want to avoid:
- Don’t wait until a month or less before the deadline. Provide at least six to eight weeks of notice.
- Don’t forget to provide all the materials the professor will need, such as your resume.
- Don’t forget to be polite and appreciative. If you’re told they aren’t able to write one for you, thank them for their time and let them know you completely understand.
- Don’t request that they include specific details in the letter.
