If you have ever applied for a job, internship, university or graduate school- chances are that you have had to request a letter of recommendation (LOR) to attach to your application. But before you could actually go asking anyone, you had to think about who you should ask first.
As a pre-law student with law school applications opening in just a few weeks, I have given my application materials A LOT of thought. I have had multiple revisions and drafts of my resume, personal statement, and CV. But when it comes to the LOR, for some reason I feel that it’s not as easy to “fix,” since it’s technically not a piece of work you are creating and editing yourself.
The LOR is one of the only aspects of the admissions process (besides the actual admissions decision), that you do not have complete control over. That’s why choosing who should be your reference can be difficult. Yes, this can be intimidating at first, but that’s why I have broken this down, in a way that helped me make these tough decisions and hopefully can help you too!
For starters, I think most people fall into one of two categories: you either don’t know who to ask because (A) you have made connections with many people or (B) you feel you haven’t made any really strong connections.
Category A:
For those of you who fall into category (A), it’s important that you reach out to people based on what you think they can say about you that will add to your application, instead of asking for a recommendation based on the person’s job title.
For example, if you have been a volunteer at ABC Volunteer Place for two years, and have worked closely with the same local assistant-supervisor during that time, chances are, this person knows you well. They would be able to describe you in a way that is more specific and genuine than, perhaps, someone with a more impressive title of “Director,” who has never spoken to you for more than a few minutes at a time.
Basically, the person you ask for a LOR should be a person that can describe your skills, accomplishments and personality. A meaningful letter from someone with a “lower title” is much better than a generic LOR from someone with a “better title.” Thus, a person’s job title should not necessarily be the deciding factor as to whether to ask them for a LOR or not.
Category B:
Before we continue, a quick side note: do not freak out if you feel like you are shy student and haven’t made a “real” connection with a professor.
“Teachers are trained not only to acknowledge these outgoing extroverts, but also to recognize that there are students who are just as smart who are not the type of people to overtly share their ideas.” (Lapid 2015)
If that’s the case for you, do not fret- just sit down and jot down a list of names of potential references (professors, co-workers, supervisors, etc.). You should aim to identify people who would have noticed your work or intellect. For example, think of professors whose class you did well, or even excelled in. Those professors are more likely to write about your strengths (even if you were not the type of student to raise your hand often). And that’s what you want- a strong LOR!
So, yes, no one is denying that figuring out who to ask for a LOR is a difficult task, but if you evaluate your choices and think about the message you want to convey through these letters- a reference is surely to come to mind. With that, I wish you all the best of luck on your applications!
Until next time,
-E. Lago
(P.S. Regardless of the category you fall under, you should always aim to ask a reference for a LOR at least one month before your earliest deadline. The earlier you ask, the better.)
Source(s):
https://blog.prepscholar.com/who-should-i-ask-to-write-my-college-recommendation-letter
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