Requesting a Letter of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are very important when seeking employment, graduate school
admission, or a competitive internship opportunity. The best letters are written by those who
know you and can speak to your strengths, skills, and fit with the position you are pursuing. Here
are a few things to consider when requesting a letter of recommendation.
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Seek out people who are appropriate for the type of position to which you are
applying.
o For an internship: Past/present employer, past/present professor, past/present
supervisor, etc.
o For grad school: Instructors with a Ph.D. who can attest to your research,
teaching, and/or writing abilities are strongly preferred.
Make sure your letter writer understands writing letters of recommendation.
o Instructors typically know what is involved in writing a letter of recommendation
and know how such a letter is formatted. Other referents (e.g., employers) may
not be accustomed to providing written letters of recommendation. It may be
necessary for you to choose an alternative letter writer if this situation occurs –
such a letter may come off as ill-prepared, which is not a real reflection of the
writer’s intent.
Remember, the best letters are written by those who can speak to your strengths.
o The ideal letter writer knows you well (e.g., grades, work ethic, etc.) and can
write well about you. Good examples would be present or past instructors,
employers, research supervisors, or advisors, depending on the opportunity you
are seeking. You can also directly ask a potential letter writer if they feel they are
able to write you a strong recommendation.
Refrain from asking a person who doesn’t really know you or who may have a
negative impression of you.
o A letter of recommendation isn’t typically considered to be an unbiased
assessment of your qualities, so if you ask a person who doesn’t know you well or
who may have a negative impression of you, the letter writer may incorporate this
information.
Do not be afraid to ask for a letter of recommendation.
o Many supervisors, especially instructors, are used to being asked for letters of
recommendation so don’t consider it a burden to ask. They may even be flattered
by your request!
Be wary about referents who ask you to write the letter.
o Although it is ultimately your choice to do this, this may be a sign that the letter
writer is not enthusiastic about you. Additionally, this letter won’t be written like
other letters that the individual has written, which can be cause for concern. The
best letters are written from a perspective other than your own, which can
comment on your accomplishments and personality.
Make sure to give them the materials they need to write an effective letter.
o Make sure your letter writer knows what you are applying for. This will help them
to highlight specific straights/experiences which make you a good fit for the
position.
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o Make sure they know who they are writing the letter to (e.g., a committee, an
employer, etc.) and the address(es) to where the letters need to be sent (if
necessary).
o Provide materials like a resume/curriculum vitae and writing samples will help
refresh their memories about you.
o Don’t be afraid to send an additional list of your experiences/accomplishments,
because this will help them to remember specific instances and write the best
letter possible (it is often well-appreciated, too, because this means they don’t
have to spend a lot of time trying to remember). This is particularly helpful for
past supervisors or instructors who may have forgotten some of those things.
Allow enough time to write the letter.
o Check with your recommenders to see when their optimal time range to complete
the letters will be. Some writers may need more or less time to complete them and
might know from experience if they have a preference for timing.
o Keep in mind, if you send requests too early, they may become lost and forgotten.
If you send them too late, the letter writer may not have enough time to write a
thorough, well-formatted letter. Try to give writers “just enough” time – usually
somewhere between 3 and 6 weeks - to avoid either of these situations.
o Make sure to give your letter writers appropriate deadlines; the dates you want to
SEND OFF the letters, not the date that the letters are due to the institution.
o Be aware of how the institution wants to receive them (e.g., if you are supposed to
send them off, if the letter writer is supposed to send it off, if it needs to be
submitted electronically, etc.)
o Make sure to follow up with your letter writers, too – this will help to remind
them to write the letter (in case they accidentally forgot) as well as to remind
them of the due date.
Thank your letter writers.
o Make sure to always follow up with a thank-you email or other correspondence.
Remember, they spent a lot of time and effort and time to write good letters
describing your best qualities. They can significantly enhance your opportunity
for being selected, and make you look all the more competitive. Also, make sure
to let the letter writers know of the outcome!
Information You Will Want to Have Available for Recommenders
Basic Information:
 Full name (and UF ID)
 Graduation date
 Local address and phone number
 Major, minor, and/or dual degree
GPA & GRE:
 Overall GPA
 Upper Division GPA
 Psychology GPA
 GRE Quantitative Score
 GRE Verbal Score
 GRE Analytical Score
 GRE Psychology Score (not always needed)
Classes taken/experiences with person who is writing your letter:
 Briefly describe your undergraduate research experiences (include project title and
description, faculty supervisor, and semester(s) you worked on the project(s)).
 If doing a senior thesis please provide the title and description of the project and faculty
supervisor(s).
 Briefly describe any relevant volunteer experiences.
 Briefly describe any other extracurricular activities and societies to which you belong.
Materials to be attached to recommendation packet:
 Statement of Purpose
 Undergraduate Transcript
 CV or Resume
 Release for Letters of Recommendation (required for UF Faculty): ferpa_release.pdf
Name of school to which you are applying and program type:
 The name of the specific program you are applying to; e.g., educational psychology,
occupational therapy, counseling psychology, etc. List this separately for each school if
you are applying to different programs for different schools.
Program contact person and school deadlines:
 Include the address of the program/department you are applying to. This is used for
inside address of the letter even if the letter isn’t mailed out. Whenever possible, also
include the name of the admissions committee chair (or equivalent) or the name of the
committee itself (e.g., “graduate selections committee”).
 When the form is due at the school and well as when you need it back -- please indicate
this so you can get the letter of recommendation to the school by the deadline. Ideally, the
list would be in the order of due dates with the first due dates listed first (see sample).
Evaluation forms:
 An indication of whether an evaluation form is to be filled out for each school—most
have these but not all.
 Note whether to send directly to school or back to you. Make additional copies as
necessary. Also specify whether there are online forms or hard copy forms.
 Provide stamped and addressed envelopes for any letters to be mailed.
Letter of Recommendation SAMPLE Initial Request
Dear Dr. Jones,
I have decided to apply to Master’s and Doctoral level graduate programs in the areas of Clinical
and Counseling Psychology for Fall 2013. Because I have had such positive experiences in your
classes and working on your research team I am writing to see if you would be willing to write
recommendations to selected programs on my behalf. If you would be willing I will be sure to
provide all the necessary information needed to assist with the process in a forthcoming packet.
Please feel free to email me at alberta.gator@ufl.edu with any questions or concerns. Thank you
for your consideration!
Sincerely,
Alberta Gator
Letter of Recommendation SAMPLE Official Request
Dear Dr. Jones,
Thank you for agreeing to write letters of recommendation on my behalf. I hereby waive my
right to inspect the letter of recommendation written for me, as indicated on the signed Release
for Letter of Recommendation form that I have included in this packet. I am applying to doctoral
programs in clinical and counseling psychology. The counseling programs have been designated
in the attached checklist; please be aware of this difference when crafting letters for these
schools. My earliest deadline is Thursday, December 1st.
The courses I have taken from you are as follows:
- General Psychology, Fall 2011
- Human Sexuality, Fall 2012
Other important activities in which I have participated are as follows:
- Honors Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2010-2011
- Undergraduate Research Conference, Spring 2010 & 2011
- Convention in Jacksonville, FL, Spring 2011
- Clinical Internship with Agency, Spring 2011
- RA at the Clinic, August 2011 - Present
My GRE scores are: 160 Verbal, 148 Quantitative, and 4.5 Analytical Writing.
Based on my experiences and interaction with you during the past four years, I would very much
appreciate it if you dedicated a portion of your recommendation to outlining 1) my academic
curiosity and ability, 2) my commitment to the Honors Program, and 3) my maturity as an
undergraduate student.
Finally, in this packet, I have included a program checklist, a copy of my CV, a copy of my
personal statement, an unofficial transcript, an unofficial GRE score report, additionally needed
hard copy forms, as well as stamped and addressed envelopes. Writing samples can certainly be
provided if you would find them helpful. Please feel free to email me at alberta.gator@ufl.edu
with any questions or concerns.
Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Alberta Gator
Letter of Recommendation SAMPLE Check List
December 1st Deadlines - please complete and submit by Nov. 21st
� Northern University – Clinical Ph.D. (online)
� University of M – Counseling Ph.D. (online)
� Southern University - Clinical Ph.D. (hardcopy - form)
� University of R - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
� University of L - Counseling Ph.D. (online)
� M University - Clinical Ph.D. (hardcopy - letterhead/signed)
� University of C - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
December 9th Deadline - please complete and submit by Nov. 30th
� University of F - Counseling - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
December 15th Deadlines - please complete and submit by Dec. 5th
� State University - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
� B University - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
December 30th Deadline - please complete and submit by Dec. 20th
� Western University - Clinical Ph.D. (online)
January 1st Deadline - please complete and submit by Dec. 22nd
� University of T - Clinical M.A. (hardcopy - form)
January 15th Deadline - please complete and submit by Jan. 5th
� University of B - Counseling M.A (online)
Letter of Recommendation SAMPLE Faculty Application
When providing information to your letter writers, it is helpful if you do the following:
1. Submit a resume or vita to Dr. Jones with a cover letter explaining who you are, how he/she
knows you, what the letter is for, and when the letter should be submitted. It is wise to list a
date a few days BEFORE the actual application is due, in case the letter writer runs late in
submitting the letter.
2. Answer the following questions, typed, on a separate sheet of paper:
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Permanent address
Expected graduation date.
What is your school and curriculum?
What is your major and/or minor?
What is your grade point average in your major/minor?
What is your overall grade point average?
What (if available) were your GRE scores (or other standardized exams)?
What course(s) in psychology have you taken with me? (note semester, course title
and number, and grade)
In what other way(s) have we interacted?
List any research activities in which you have been involved while at UF (e.g., PSY
3912).
List any para-professional activities related to psychology which you have done while
here (e.g., crisis center, community work, tutoring, etc.).
I have known you since _________.
List and comment on the extra-curricular activities in which you have engaged while
a student. Include any honor societies, hobbies, and the extent to which you actively
participated.
List and comment on the work you have done, jobs you have held, positions of
responsibility you have held.
What were your supervisory and/or professional aspects of these jobs?
What special interests have you developed that are related to psychology and/or your
probable future employment?
What job do you seek? (If graduate school, what major or specialization, what job
afterwards?)
What do you consider to be your strong and weak points as a person?
What are you doing to eliminate any particular weaknesses mentioned above?
What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?
Comment on anything else you would like them to know about.