References and Letters of Recommendation
Why ask?
More often than not, colleges, scholarship sponsors and potential employers will wish to consider
opinions about your qualifications beyond those that you yourself provide. More than hearing your voice
and reading your e-mails, application, resume and essay, these organizations will want to know from
others what kind of person you are, how you perform, what you’ve done in your life and how well you’ve
done it. Letters of recommendation and having references will help college admission counselors,
scholarship review committee members and employers to get to know you better, and as a result, they
will be able to make more well-informed decision when considering your application.
What is the difference?
Typically, you will be required to list “references” on your college or job application. A reference is a
person with whom the college or hiring official may discuss your qualities as an applicant. The best
people to list as a reference are those who know you well, who know something about the school or job
to which you are applying and that will be believable in the eyes of the college or hiring company. When
you list someone as a reference, this gives the go-ahead to the organization to which you are applying
to contact your references and discuss your characteristic and qualifications. Do not put someone
down as a reference unless you have gotten their permission to do so!
A “letter of recommendation” is a document that you request from teachers, previous employers or
others credible individuals that know you well. In some cases, letters you collect may be accepted from
you along with your application. If you collect letters of recommendation over time to send with
several applications, be sure to tell the recommender to whom you have sent their letter; they
may be contacted. More typically however, the organization reviewing your application will wish to
receive the letter directly from the person signing it. This is because the organization wishes to read a
more honest appraisal of your skills than may be provided if you saw it first!
Having letters of recommendation handy will allow those colleges, scholarships and job representatives
to read all about you without having to make contact with the recommender. Letters of recommendation
can also serve you, too. We encourage you to keep copies of your letters in your College In Colorado
Portfolio online file storage. These letters not only can be used more than once, but can be used on a
“rainy day” when you’re not feeling so good about yourself. You can read these letters on that not-sogood day and be reminded of how good you really are and of all the people who wish for your success.
Who should I ask?
Who should you ask to provide a reference or write a letter of recommendation? Neighbors and
acquaintances, or your parents’ acquaintances, may be willing to be a reference or write a letter of
recommendation for you. Business colleagues, professors, academic advisors or counselors,
customers and vendors are also good possibilities if they know you and your skills and abilities well.
If you volunteer or participate in community activities, consider using leaders or other members of the
organization as references. Have you participated in your church, scouting, 4-H, or other organizations
or in school sports? Are you a member of a community board or volunteer association? Have you led or
participated in projects or activities that highlight your skills and abilities? Ask leaders, coaches, other
board members or participants whether they would be a reference or write a letter of recommendation
for you. If you have a mentor, counselor or teacher with whom you have a particularly good relationship
and who understands the quality of your work in school, ask them, particularly if the position to which
you are applying relates to a teacher’s subject area.
It is much easier to collect references and letters of recommendation if you remember who might be
willing to provide them! Each time you develop a relationship with someone who would be a good
reference, record their contact information in your College In Colorado portfolio. There is a specific area
in which you record your network; those people who may be of help to you.
How do I Ask?
Just about anyone who knows you well may be willing to write you a letter of recommendation or give
you a reference. The reason they may turn you down is that they may not know how to write a good
letter or may not have the time. There are several solutions for this dilemma.
First, don't ask simply "would you write a letter of recommendation for me" or “would you provide a
reference for me?” Rather, ask "do you feel you know my work well enough to write me a good
recommendation letter" or "do you feel you could give me a good reference?" That way, your reference
writer has an easy out if they are not comfortable writing a letter and you can be assured that those
who say yes are enthusiastic about your performance and will write a positive letter.
Second, when you make your request, let people know you will provide information to help them
prepare. Send an updated copy of your resume and information about your skills and experiences, so
that your references and writers have current information with which to work. In some cases, people
may request that you draft a letter of recommendation for them to edit, sign and send in. When drafting
a letter, ensure that the information is positive, accurate, well-written and that the person who will be
signing it is knowledgeable about the information and attributes to which you have referred. Also, make
sure to give the signor complete information about where to send the completed letter.
Sometimes it is difficult to ask someone in authority, someone who appears very busy or who is older
than you to provide a reference or write a letter of recommendation for you. Overcome your fears by
making sure that you have made the request easy for your recommender to accomplish and recognize
that most people are excited to help others achieve their dreams of higher education and career.
Just a Reminder
Most scholarships and many jobs require multiple and compelling recommendations.
Think carefully about who knows you best when selecting your recommenders and give
each of them plenty of time to write you a strong letter of recommendation
Inform your recommenders of the requirements of the scholarship, job or school and ask
them to address specifically how you match the selection criteria
Check in with your recommenders at least a week before the deadline to make sure they
are aware of and remind them about the deadline
Recommendations and references are should never be from relatives
Send a thank you note to your recommenders; writing a good letter of recommendation is
hard work and being a reference for you takes time!