Letters of Recommendation

Do you want a letter of recommendation, or a letter of evaluation? First of all, you should realize that everyone assumes the letter will be extremely positive – you wouldn’t ask an enemy to write a letter, would you? Of course the recipient of the letters also knows that you ask what you assume will be the best potential source of a positive letter. Spend some time thinking about more than just meeting the requirement of three letters. Do you know anything about the writing skills of the potential recommenders? If you think carefully, you probably have some basis for evaluating the communication skills of potential sources of letters. A well-written letter is better than a poorly written one.

Timing is important! Don’t wait until the deadline to ask for a letter. This sends the signal to the writer and the recipient that you are a procrastinator, which isn’t good. Do you want your letter to say “The timing of this letter and the application are an example of the planning skills of the applicant”?

Deliver your form or information in person. Don’t slide a request for a letter of recommendation under the office door without talking to the person! Give the writer time to ask questions. It is amazing how many people asking for recommendations don’t really look at the form, and don’t fill in the information needed. Make sure the writer knows the deadline for the letter. It’s a good idea to give a brief resume to the potential recommenders to remind them of your experience.

Don’t assume that a letter of recommendation only talks about your grades. If that is all that is important, a transcript would suffice. The list of potential topics of a letter is endless, but if you were often tardy to or absent from class, turned in assignments late, or had a bad attitude, don’t ask for a letter of evaluation no matter how high your grade is.

Waive your rights of access, don’t be paranoid. If you don’t waive your rights, your letter may be bland and noncommittal. If the writer knows that you retain your right of access to the letter, they may be very conservative in what they say. As common as law suits are, writers will not be as open if they know you will be reading the letter. Also, some admissions committee members may interpret non-confidential letters as lacking in credibility.

We’ve all been told that you should give an addressed and stamped envelop to the person you are asking to write a letter of recommendation. In some cases, this is not a good idea. If you are asking someone in business or education, they need to use official stationery and their mail is metered. A hand-written envelop may be viewed with suspicion by the recipient.

The best preparation for a good letter of recommendation starts years before the letter. If you are in an educational setting, your attitude in your classes is extremely important. Also, meeting deadlines, being on time, and exhibiting good communication and leadership skills are important. Let your instructors get to know you. It is very difficult to write a letter for someone who has never talked with you (remember, grades aren’t enough).

Since an increasing amount of business is being done by internet, you should be aware that your email address sends a message about you. If you have an email address like “hotchick” or some other cutesy name, this sends the message about your lack of maturity. Is that what you want?