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How to ask professor for recommendation letter?
Which professor should I ask for recommendation letter?
What's the polite way to ask them to be my references when it's been a while since I've taken their courses?
#professors #professional #career #references
#email #scholarship #recommendationletter
3 answers
Ken Simmons
Ken’s Answer
Visit their office or make a phone call to set up an appointment. When you make your visit or phone call, explain when you were in their class, what you have been doing since you were in the class, and why you are requesting the recommendation. It is not polite, especially since you have not been in the class for a while, to use any impersonal electronic means of communication.
Melissa Thomas-Hunt
Melissa’s Answer
Increasingly, the most engaged faculty are very busy. It is no longer impolite to ask for a reference via email. The requester should be very polite and remind the faculty member of the class and situation in which they [previously interacted, describe the opportunity for which they are seeking a recommendation and indicate the ways in which the faculty member might be poised to comment.
They should also indicate that they realize that their time is precious and ask what they might do to make writing the recommendation easier.
Alicia Gilbert
Alicia’s Answer
1. Email your professor. This is absolutely ok to do nowadays.
a. Introduce yourself if s/he doesn't know you, say that you were in their class, enjoyed it, learned a lot, and that you would be grateful if they could please write you a letter.
b. Describe what you need the letter for (for example, an internship).
c. Ask if your professor could please sit down with you to talk about why you want that internship (or whatever it might be).
2. Meet with your professor.
a. Explain why you want a letter from this professor. Perhaps s/he has background in the area the internship is in. Or maybe you just did really well in his/her class and s/he knows you are a hard-worker and other positive attributes about you.
b. Have talking points about why you want the internship (3-5 points). Be ready to give a copy of those points to your prof.
c. Explain why you want the internship. For example, you have relevant experience, or are eager to get experience in that area; it would be a great way to stretch/grow your knowledge, or pursue a passion.
d. Explain why you are a good fit for the internship and what the professor could say that makes you stand out (3-5 points). This might feel a little awkward to do (talking about yourself in a positive way). It might feel like boasting. But your professor needs to know this in order to properly communicate effectively to whomever the letter is going to! Don't be afraid to have some confidence, but remember to be humble, too. You could also try to fit these points in organically when you're talking about why you want and are enthusiastic about the internship. I wouldn't be surprised if a professor asks for a copy of these points -- they will help your prof draft the letter. So have a copy to hand over to your prof. In that copy, use the wording you would want the prof to use in their letter! They might simply copy it over.
Keep in mind, some professors might even ask you to write the letter for them. I wouldn't assume they will, but if you take that perspective and pretend that you might be writing the letter, then that will help you put yourself in your professor's shoes and think more deeply about why you need the letter and what you want it to say.
I hope this helps!