Do you need a professor's recommendation for a scholarship? For a graduate school? For a job? If you have decided to submit your request via email, follow these steps to do it in a polite and effective way and get the best possible references.
Steps
Method 1 of 1: Write the Email
Step 1. Be prepared to send your request email at least 5-6 weeks before the date the recommendation is to be received
Don't wait until the last minute to ask for it. The professors are busy, and you don't want them to write the letter in a hurry, if they find the time to do so.
Step 2. Choose a suitable teacher
Before choosing which professor to request a recommendation from, ask yourself these questions:
- Does this professor know my name?
- Have I ever talked to him outside of a class?
- Did he give me good grades in his class?
- Have I taken more than one course with this professor?
You will need to choose a professor who can write a letter that includes specific information about your personal characteristics and achievements. Choose the one that gets the most positive answers to the previous questions.
Step 3. Address the letter the right way
Even if it is an email, take care of the form. If you were calling the professor by name (because you were specifically asked to do so and you have done so often), use the professor's name as well. Otherwise, use the appropriate title. Let's imagine we write a letter to Prof. Jones, your old archeology professor. Professor Jones did not ask you to call him by name, so start the letter with "Dear Professor Jones" followed by a comma.
Step 4. Write "Recommendation for [your name]?
as an object.
Step 5. Begin the first paragraph by stating what you want:
"I am writing to ask if you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me." Don't let me guess. In subsequent sentences, illustrate the following information:
- Your name
- School year
- Degree course
- What courses did you take with this professor and what grade did you get
- Why do you need a recommendation
- When the deadline for submitting the letter of recommendation expires.
Step 6. Describe your relationship with the professor in the next paragraph and explain why you decided to ask him
Tell something about yourself and why you are interested in the scholarship, graduate school, or job for which you need his recommendation.
- Don't write superficial reasons like "I want to work there because it was the highest paying offer I got" or "I want to go to that school because their title would be the perfect addition to my resume."
- Be professional and write something like, "I chose to apply for a position at that museum because I am extremely interested in their tribal art department."
- Does this professor have any special connections that you are aware of, with that company or work environment? Or if it's a school, did you go to it? If so, write it in the mail. "I know that many of the pieces on display were recovered from her during her trip to the Amazon. I really hope I can get a position in a department with such an interesting collection of works."
- If your experience with this professor influenced your choice, write it down: "I didn't think I was going to research until I took his Biology course. He motivated me to take a part-time job in Dr. Rossi's lab and now I'm drawn to the ability to do stem cell research after graduate school. " Don't force a story like this if it's not about the truth.
Step 7. Use the third paragraph as an opportunity to indicate what you would like the professor to say about you
You will need to include information about yourself that the professor may not know. Some ways to get to know it are:
- "I believe he is aware, based on our conversations and my participation in his course, that I am very interested in the field of archeology. I completed my Bachelor of Archeology in June of this year. I was also able to perform an internship under Dr. Mario Rossi, whom I believe you know. Thanks to my internship I have acquired a great deal of experience in cataloging objects."
- "My other references will be able to write about my academic career, but you are the only one who knows how hard I worked on my thesis and the obstacles I had to face. I was hoping it could talk about my ability to deal with stress and unexpected events., because these are the qualities that the commission in charge of the selection wants to see."
Step 8. Give the professor all the necessary details
Where should the letter be delivered? What are the deadlines? You are already asking the professor to write the letter for you. Don't even ask him to address her and mail her with a postage stamp for you. You will want to disturb the professor as little as possible, so do not delegate to him anything that is your job to do. This way you can be sure that the letter will be sent. If the professor offers to send the letter for you, let him do it. If the professor is a guy who often forgets things, tell him that you need to present the letter by hand. This way you will be sure you have it.
Step 9. Conclude with information about what will happen next:
"I'll leave the form and a stamped and addressed envelope in your post office box at the faculty this week. I'll also send you an email as a reminder a week before the deadline. Thanks again." Or, "I need to submit the letter of recommendation by August 3. If you are willing to write the letter for me, please let me know and I will be happy to pick it up at your office at any time."
Step 10. Thank the professor, regardless of whether or not he writes the letter
"Thank you in advance for your time and attention. I also wanted to extend a further thanks for the time I spent learning from her. I really enjoyed her course, which she taught me so much." If he is truly a special professor, you can be even more direct in your praise. "I know that the things I have learned in her course will be very useful for the work I will want to do in life. Her teachings have had a positive impact on my life, and I can never thank her enough." You can also offer to write the letter of recommendation yourself and have the teacher sign it. This will save them the time and effort needed to write it, and you can include the content of your choice.
Step 11. Continue as promised, delivering the necessary materials and sending a reminder
Follow up with a phone call to the email if you haven't received a response after one week, maximum two. If you need to call, don't take anything for granted. First, make sure the professor has read your email. If not, be prepared to make your request verbally.
Step 12. Before the deadline, take responsibility for checking whether the recommendation has been received
If not, send the professor a short, polite email and offer to pay for same-day shipping.
Step 13. Thank the professor again
After you get your letter of recommendation, send a thank you note to the professor. If the recommendation has reached its destination, send the professor a handwritten thank-you note by post, not by email. Not only is it polite and the right thing to do, but you can't know when this gesture will be useful to you in the future. You may need another letter in the future, or you may become a colleague of your professor, and ask for his help. If the letter does its job and gets you the position, call the professor to share the good news!
Advice
- Read the email before sending it. Make sure it doesn't contain any spelling or grammar errors. Have someone else check the letter if you are bad at writing.
- To avoid sounding pushy, send a thank you note to the professor a week or two before the deadline, mentioning the date, as a reminder.
- Attach your resume to the email, and explain in the email that you attached it for the professor to consult.
- Remember that people help you, and always be ready to return the favor. An example would be that you get the job at the museum and open a position for a summer internship for students. You could call Prof. Jones and let him know so he can share the news with his students.
- If you need an urgent letter of recommendation, write a short email asking if the professor has time to do you a favor and explain the circumstances. If you get a positive response, write a second, more detailed email.
Warnings
- Some professors will be offended if you ask them to write you a letter of recommendation by email. Passing by the teacher's office during office hours, making an appointment, or making a phone call are ways to let your professor know that you really care about his letter.
- Remember that a professor is not required to write a recommendation. Your professors will have generally spent decades working hard to build their reputations. When they write a recommendation, they put their reputation on the line. In general, they will only do this for students they believe in.
- DO NOT ask to read a copy of the letter before it is sent. This is not appropriate, because the idea is that the professor writes an honest assessment without having to explain to the student. If you think the professor might not write what you think is best for you, express your doubts in the email and ask if he or she is willing to write a letter that will improve your chances of getting the position you want.
- If the professor gives you a clue that his letter of recommendation will not be as you hope, thank him for his attention and let him know that you have found another referrer.
- Never submit a list of people who "can positively recommend you" without first obtaining their consent. You can make an exception if you have worked with these people for a long time and are sure they would write a letter for you if you ask.
