How to ask for a letter of recommendation?

How to ask for recommendations?

Upon admission, the applicant is asked to provide recommendations - letters from teachers or employers with a brief description of the candidate.But how and whom to ask for such a letter?We give a short instruction.

Start as early as possible

The most important thing is to start asking for letters as soon as you are clear about the university, programs and are ready to work on applications...A teacher may have a busy schedule, and letters of recommendation also take time, and it is no longer dependent on you.

By the way, once you have found a suitable university, find out:

In what form is the recommendation accepted?Do you just need contacts or letters?
What should be stated in the letter?
Should the text be on special forms from the university?What stamps should be affixed?
Who exactly is the recommendation requested from?Sometimes universities ask for letters specifically from teachers and do not consider other options.

Ask for specific teachers

Information in recommendations should be detailed and of high quality, so it is worth choosing teachers who know youand really want to tell good things.For example, to those with whom you are preparing term paper or doing other joint work.

Do not insist and be polite

Remember that the teacher does not have to prepare a letter for you, even if you have worked a lot together.It is better to ask for the letter in person, having previously found out at what time it is more convenient to communicate with you.Be polite and considerate of the other person's plans.Explain why you want this particular teacher to prepare the letter, thank you for your time.

Prepare all the necessary information in advance

If you have received consent, you must provide all the important information for the letter.Find out how convenient it will be for the teacher: get itby mail or inquire on the spot, during a conversation.You can also prepare this data in printed form.

All the necessary information should be found out at the first stages, as soon as you have chosen a university.For example, sometimes universities will ask you to answer specific questions, provide details about the faculty member, or share your research experience.

Treat rejection calmly

It may happen that the teacher rejects you, even when he knows you well.For example, due to lack of time or for personal reasons.You could learn a lot from the teacher, hand over written work to him, but get refused, because in his opinion you did not prove yourself to the end.Remember that not everything in this case depends on you, take it easy and try to talk to other people who know you.

Useful links

We suggest reading a couple of useful articles that will help with admission:

2022-01-14 07:23:15