Stepping up to the Plate:
How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation
Recently, I’ve completed eleven applications for graduate school (six Ph.D. programs and five master’s programs). I learned a great deal about applying for an experimental psychology graduate program by working in two different research labs, attending McNair scholar workshops, and attending a two-day boot camp on how to apply to graduate school. However, I discovered that one of the more difficult aspects of the application process was asking for letters of recommendation. Obtaining strong letters takes far more time and effort than most students realize.
When students apply to graduate school, most schools will ask them for three letters of recommendation. These letters should come from instructors who have the title of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. Depending on the discipline and program, I have also known students to acquire letters from academic advisors or employers. However, it is usually in your best interest to ask instructors, because they can speak about your writing, presentation, and research skills. Many students think a good letter of recommendation comes from a professor who taught a class where you participated in class discussions, wrote a couple of excellent papers, and received an A. That might be okay for other disciplines, but in psychology that will probably only work for one of your letters (not all three). Your recommenders should know your work well and be able to write about you for about one and half pages. If you ask a professor with whom you’ve only taken one course, it may be difficult for this professor to write a detailed letter. Therefore, to ensure better letters, you should take several classes with the same professors, join research labs, and join projects with professors in order to build relationships and demonstrate your work.
All the schools I applied to asked for three letters of recommendation. I therefore asked for letters of recommendation from two professors I’ve worked closely with and one of my previous instructors. All three professors asked me for additional information so they could write strong letters, but they asked for different information. One of my recommenders asked me for more information on my research interests, while another asked me to provide details on the work I had done in her lab. I had to complete these tasks before they would write their letters. Your recommenders might similarly ask you for additional information and it could take you several weeks to provide it, which is why you should ask for these letters in advance. I recommend you ask for your letters six months before the application due date. This will give you and your recommender time to build a comfortable relationship and have the same understanding with what your letter should say.
When asking professors for a letter of recommendation, the first step is to write an email asking them for a meeting to discuss your graduate school plans. Next, if and when they agree to meet with you, give them a list of schools you wish to attend, their application deadlines, and the mentors you would like to work with. Also, be sure to print out (and sign) any forms that the recommenders need to fill out for a particular school. That way if they agree to write you a letter, you can provide them with all the information they need. Luckily, most schools now use electronic submission: They will email your recommenders to ask them to upload their letters to a data base and so you do not need to print any forms.
During these meetings, your professors may ask you to do extra work. The first professor asked me to start by describing everything I had done in her lab — everything from presentations to posters, projects, and papers. The second professor was a professor I worked with in a different research lab. She did not have me do any extra work upfront; she just asked me to send her reminders when the schools would be contacting her to upload her letters.
Lastly, I asked a professor in the anthropology department. I did not work as closely with him, but I took two of his classes, wrote a couple of large papers for him, and received good grades. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him because he taught a different discipline. When I sat down with him, he was curious to know what my research interests were. He then began to ask me about the type of experiments I could conduct and how I would go about designing and running these studies. Not knowing what to expect, I was taken aback at the difficulty of the interview. However, I was grateful for the preparation it gave me for my graduate school interview.
Although your experience of asking for letters of recommendation may be different from mine, the best advice I can give you is to be prepared before you ask for letters of recommendation. Know the people you want to work with at the schools you want to attend. Know what type of research you are interested in. Make the process convenient for the recommenders by having any additional information they will need. Figuring out this information and providing it to your recommenders will allow you to obtain stronger letters of recommendation, and will also help prepare you for the interviews you will be completing in just a few more months.
Ashley Lee was a part of the Interactive Measurement group for six semesters (Fall 2014 – Summer 2016). Ashley graduated from UNLV in December 2015. This Fall 2016, she started the Developmental Psychology Master’s program at Illinois State University. Her future goals include obtaining a Ph.D. in developmental psychology, focusing on adolescent development and obtaining a full-time faculty position at a university.