What is a Letter of Recommendation?
When you are applying to graduate schools, most programs will require that you list 3-4 individuals who are willing to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. The letter is expected to highlight the various reasons why they “recommend” that you should be admitted into the program. The letter will address your potential as a graduate student, your experiences that have prepared you for graduate study, and how their interactions with you have provided them with evidence for their recommendation. It is expected that most of your letters should come from professors that know you well. Professors who are on the admissions committee want to hear from individuals who are most similar to them, which means that they want to hear from other professors who have similar credentials (i.e., a Ph.D.).
Here is the most important thing to know about letters: You are more likely to be accepted if you have strong letters of recommendation. A strong letter is from a professor that can speak to your abilities across multiple settings such as the classroom, their research lab, and through multiple conversations with you. That professor has seen the quality of your writing, thinking, work ethic, and enthusiasm for pursuing a graduate education and can speak highly of your abilities and potential for success in graduate school. Similar to the statements that you submit, your letters of recommendation paint a fuller picture of who you are, beyond what your GPA can communicate. In graduate programs, you will work closely with professors and it will be typical to develop professional relationships with multiple professors. If you can demonstrate that you are already doing that as an undergraduate, then that will convince the admissions committee that you are prepared for that transition.
How can I get a strong letter of rec?
Building these types of relationships with professors is hard but it is never too late (or early) to get started. I encourage students to get to know their professors outside of the classroom and the best way to get started is by visiting office hours. You should prepare questions and topics of discussion to maximize your time with them - keep in mind that you are trying to showcase your strengths as a student. Identify a topic you covered in class, do some additional research on your own, and develop 2-3 questions about that topic that will help you gain a deeper understanding so that you can apply that to an exam or an assignment. Over time, you can ask them questions about career paths or their own graduate experience. During these conversations, the professor may connect you with resources that will help you on your academic journey and all of these positive interactions will make it easier for them to write a letter on your behalf.
What if I don’t know any of my professors?
If you feel like you “don’t know” the professor, the professor likely feels the same way about you, which would make it less likely that they will 1) agree to write a letter in the first place and 2) write a letter that includes positive information about you. As a professor, it would be very difficult to write a letter for a student that I only know from the classroom. If I agree to write that letter, I can only include information about that limited experience, like their final grade and whether they participated in class, but otherwise, I would not have any evidence of their potential as a graduate student. Although it can seem intimidating to build a professional relationship with a professor - you should know that most professors want to help you come out of your shell. We chose this career because we want to work with students and seeing our students succeed is extremely rewarding! I strongly encourage you to reach out to a professor asap - it will be worth it!