Choosing Your Letters of Recommendation

Second to your personal statement, letters of recommendation are the most important part of your application package. Honest statements about your work and potential written by mentors and esteemed professors carry a lot of weight with admissions committees and play a large role in the admission process. Graduate schools require three letters of recommendation, which is a lot! It was so daunting for me to ask three different professors to write for me when I didn't know them all that well. Here are some tips for choosing good letter writers and a little of my personal experience. 



Choose someone that knows your work
If you had to do a thesis or any sort of undergraduate research, your advisor is the perfect person to write you a letter of recommendation. They can speak to your strengths in a workplace and research setting and likely know you better personally than other professors whom you've only had as teachers. One of my letters of recommendation, and probably the best letter of recommendation I got was from the professor that I spent a year working under on my own project. 

Choose someone that knows you outside of a student
If you have a professor who you've visited for office hours or who you've had for multiple years or classes, this could be a good person to write for you. You want someone who really knows you and can write something meaningful rather than a generic letter. 

Choosing someone non-academic?
All three of my letters were written by academic professors, but I could see someone wanting to use non-academic references. I would say that you should probably only have one non-academic reference, if any, and that person needs to be relevant. You would want a research supervisor if you work for a biotech company or something like that, not necessarily a store manager if you work at the mall. 

When to ask?
The earlier, the better! I procrastinated this a bit and gave my references around two months to write my letters and upload them, which I wouldn't recommend. Some professors, especially ones that teach and run a lab, are busier than others and you want to give them as much time as possible to craft a good letter. 

So it's getting close and they still haven't uploaded it!
I emailed reminders ten days out, a week out, and four days out. You know your references best and if you know that someone needs to be constantly reminded, you need to be reminding them. At the end of the day, they're doing you a favor, but it's up to you to make sure your package is complete by the deadline. 

What do I do after?
Make sure that you keep in touch with these people! They are invested in your personal success and they deserve to be updated on your progress. At the very least, send a courtesy email once you've decided to accept at a program to thank them and let them know where you'll be. 

I think that covers everything! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Also, be sure to let me know if there are any other topics you'd like a deep dive into. 

x, S