Ask
people who have known you in different situations (i.e. job
supervisor, professor, coach, religious leaders, etc.) so
they may speak about your various qualities. A diverse group
of letters can create a broader and more accurate picture
of you as a person. Unfortunately, your parents/guardian and
other family members are excluded.
In general, the best letters of recommendation are from
people who:
• Have worked with you closely
(i.e. teacher, coach, supervisor)
• Have known you long enough
to write with authority (e.g., academic advisor)
• Are well known (i.e. a departmental
chair, head coach, principal, religious leader)
• Have a positive opinion of
you and your abilities
If you are not sure whether prospective letter writers
know you well or have a positive impression of you to write
a good letter, there is nothing wrong with asking them whether
they would be able to write a good letter. After all, if
you are going to compete with other applicants who have
glowing letters of recommendation, a bland or somewhat positive
letter from someone who does not really know you, besides
your name on a roll call, can actually do more harm than
good.
Advice
Once you have 3-4 letter writers, there are several
things you can do to increase your chances of receiving
glowing letters of recommendation:
•
Start Early
Give your writers plenty of time to write a good letter
and not to miss any application deadlines. If you are
going to ask a teacher or someone at school, you must
ask them early, since their schedule gets busier throughout
the school year. Make sure to give your writers as much
time as possible before the application deadline. A
minimum of three or four weeks is customary and will
allow you to check back a few days before the deadline
to ensure that the letter was completed and has been
sent to the scholarship provider according to their
guidelines. In some cases, letter writers may request
the applicant to write the first draft.
•
Recommendation Track Form
Download a FREE copy of the Recommendation
Track Form. This form is designed to help you and
the letter writer document and organize this process.
Use this form for each individual that will be writing
a recommendation letter for you. This material is excerpted
from a book entitled The
Scholarship Workbook, which is available
for sale.
Scholarship Details
Give each letter writer information about the organization
awarding the scholarship, scholarship purpose, goals,
guidelines, eligibility requirements, deadline, and
specific instructions (if any) regarding the letter
of recommendation.
•
Give You Input
You can help your letter writers create a good letter
of recommendation by providing them with useful information
about yourself, especially if you have not worked with
them for several months. This information will also
refresh their memories with details of your goals, skills,
work habits, and achievements. A good letter of recommendation
should be not longer than two pages in length.
Below is the type of information letter writers often
find helpful when writing recommendation letters:
• Career Objective
• Education
• Academic/Athletic Achievements, Awards and
Honors
• Extracurricular Activities
• Work Experiences
• Scholarship Resume
•
Provide a pre-addressed envelope
for each letter
Provide a pre-addressed envelope for each letter with
postage affixed if the letter should be mailed directly
to the scholarship provider. If the letter should be
returned to you in a sealed envelope, be sure to print/type
your name and address and the scholarship’s name
on the outside of each envelope.
•
Forms
Any forms that are supposed to be submitted with the
letter. If there is a form that goes with the letter,
complete as much information as possible. Type in
the letter writer’s name, job title (i.e. Math
Teacher), and complete contact information (i.e. telephone
number, fax number, street address). This will allow
your letter writer to focus strictly on the recommendation
itself.
Some organizations may have a recommendation
form for the letter writer(s) you have chosen to answer
a few questions about you; these questions typically
ask about your character, academics, leadership, teamwork,
leadership, and/or extracurricular activities.
•
Request a Copy of the Letter
Ask the letter writer to make a coy of the letter of
recommendation for your records. You may be able to
use the same letter of recommendation for other scholarship,
except the letter writer may have to revise it by changing
the date and scholarship name and information within
the letter.
•
Send a thank you note
Send the letter writer(s) a thank you note or card for
taking the time to write the recommendation letter.
