Letters of Recommendation FAQ
This post is part of a series on how to get great letters of recommendation to grad school.
When is the best time to ask for a letter of recommendation for graduate school?
I think that the ideal time to ask for a letter is about two to three months in advance and absolutely no less than three weeks in advance. Any earlier is probably unnecessary (unless you know your letter writer will be travelling or unavailable for an extended period of time). It may be a good idea to touch base with your potential letter writers even up to 6 months or a year in advance, just to let them know that you are thinking about applying to graduate school and might ask them for a letter in the future.
Anything less than three weeks notice is probably going to annoy your potential letter writer. That’s not to say you shouldn’t still ask them (while being overtly apologetic about being late), but try to shoot for at least a month before your deadline.
I am planning to take a gap year(s) to work in industry before grad school, should I wait to ask for a letter of recommendation?
No! People will write their best letters of recommendation when you are fresh in their minds. A lot can happen in a year or two or five, why wait? Let your letter writer know in person and in writing that you are asking for a general letter of recommendation to be used in the future. You may come back and ask them to lightly edit and tailor it to specific programs or fellowships in the future, but for now you would like to get it while you are fresh in their mind.
I have been out of school for some time, can I go back and ask old professors for a letter of recommendation?
Well this kind of case-by-case. How long have you been out of school? How good of a relationship did/do you have with these professors? If you worked for two or three years in a lab for someone, you should still be able to ask them for a letter of recommendation, even ten years later. Think if any of your old professors wrote you a letter of rec years ago, they may still have it on file.
I would avoid asking professors who you did not have a great relationship with for letters of recommendation, as they may not remember you well, and your letter may suffer for it. You can overcome this by reminding them of all of the things you did with them.
How many letters should I have?
Generally universities ask for 2-3 letters. You may want to buffer for a compulsively late letter writer by asking one additional person to be your backup. A good person for this might be your academic advisor- you may not have worked with them closely, but they have certainly written many letters of recommendation, and they will probably be happy to help you. “I’ve asked three professors for letters, but professor X is notoriously bad at submitting letters on time, and my application will be thrown out if I don’t submit everything by the deadline. Would you be willing to write me a general letter just in case I need it last minute?”
What if I am applying to different kinds of programs?
(As in, I am applying to graduate programs in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry). You may ask the same professor to tailor different letters to different programs (see below). But, you may have better success if you tailor the kinds of letter writers for your different programs. Select the letter writers for your different programs that best fit that program. In doing this you may have to ask three completely different people for letters of recommendation for your other application. This means more work for you, but in the end you need to think critically about what will be best for your application.
Can I ask a professor to tailor a letter to different schools?
Unfortunately (and conveniently?), professors are exceptionally busy around the same time that applications are due. You may ask them to tailor your letters for different kinds of programs and applications. You can aid your cause by giving very specific instructions for the different things you want to highlight in your different applications. However, do not be taken aback or surprised if they are only willing to write you one general letter to submit everywhere. Be prepared for this.
What if a professor asks me to write a letter of recommendation for myself and they will edit and sign off on it?
This is more common than you might think. If this happens to you… don’t question it. Write the most glorious glowing letter ever. This is the most ideal situation you could ask for, even if it means a bit more work for yourself. Include all of the characteristics you want to come through in you application. Site your best personality traits. Be sure to highlight your tenacity for research and ability to think like a scientist to perform independent research. Don’t go so over the top that the professor won’t sign it, and certainly don’t make anything up. Also, be sure to include the professor’s qualifications, why are they suited to recommend you? The professor may edit your letter, don’t be surprised- be just as grateful and Send thank you notes just as you would if they wrote it themselves.
