Career Development & Recruiting

Letters of Recommendation

Who Do I Ask to Provide a Letter of Recommendation?

• Depending on the graduate school, 2-5 letters of recommendation may be required for the application process.  It is important to check each graduate school's minimum and maximum requirement.
• Ask individuals who you know well and who will provide you with a positive letter of recommendation.
• Excellent people to have write you a letter of recommendation include: previous employers, professors, academic advisors, and organization advisors

How Do I Ask for a Letter of Recommendation and What Should I Provide?

• It is best not to simply ask, "Could you write me a letter of recommendation?" 
• Try, "Do you feel you know my work well enough to write me a positive letter of recommendation?"
  This way, you can be sure that those who say "yes" will write a good letter.

Give your recommender:

• A copy of your updated resume and personal statement
• Any additional information about your experiences and skills
• Each school's recommendation forms with addressed and stamped envelopes to return to the graduate school
• The deadline by which the recommendation must be received

Send a thank you note to each person who takes the time do this for you.