Letters of recommendation are a crucial component of applications for grants, fellowships, graduate school, and jobs. Professors in the department will gladly write letters of recommendation for their students, but they can help you best if you adhere to the following guidelines:
- Whenever possible, request a letter of recommendation at least one month before the stated deadline, and preferably six weeks or more.
- Provide the professor with the following:
- a list of all the schools, organizations, etc. to which you will be applying
- the relevant information about each institution or program (for example, “the M.A. Program in International Relations” or “Fulbright Teaching Assistantship”).
- the deadline for each program
- your statement of purpose or entrance essay
- a recent c.v.
- a reminder of the important work that you did for his/her classes — the subject of papers or presentations.
- Any additional information that you think will help your professor write a compelling letter.
- Finally, be sure to check with your Professor approximately one week before the deadline for the letter. A reminder at that point can be especially helpful, and it will avoid any last-minute panics.
With that done, you can concentrate on the rest of your application!