How To Ask A Professor for A Letter Of Recommendation (With Examples)

Which professor should you ask for a letter of recommendation?

You should ask a professor who is familiar with your academic work and performance and you should choose someone you have had personal interactions with.

If possible, make sure your recommender can articulate your skills and provide personal anecdotes that aren’t reflected elsewhere, such as your ability to work well with a team, or your dedication to your chosen field of study.

We recommend choosing a professor who’s intimately familiar with your work ethic over a teacher whose class you aced but never met with. Professors from smaller class settings like seminars, as opposed to lectures, almost always make a stronger choice.

If you regularly attend a professor’s office hours and they got to know you well, that’s a good choice for your letter of recommendation (even if you didn’t ace their class).

How to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation

To ask a professor for a letter of recommendation, you should prepare a summary document, provide your application materials, and then request a meeting with them. Here’s a detailed list of everything you need to know about requesting a recommendation letter from a professor:

1. Prepare a summary document. A summary document lists the courses you’ve taken over your time at school and references any projects or accomplishments that you are proud of completing. If you have copies of these, be sure to include them in your document. Additionally, consider including grades you received on these accomplishments and overall grades for your class.
2. Provide your application materials. Next, provide your up-to-date resume to give your professor an adequate summary of your achievements outside of school as well as any relevant work experience. If you choose, including a cover letter can be helpful to provide your professor with the highlights of your classes or projects, where you believe you have showcased some of the skills that may be relevant for what you are applying for.
3. Request a meeting. If you’re still living on campus or can easily make it into the professor’s office hours, try to schedule a face-to-face meeting. You can cover a lot more ground in a 15-minute conversation than an email chain that could go on for a couple of weeks. Be prepared to talk about your job or school search more thoroughly. In today’s world, you can also request a video chat for convenience.
4. Give plenty of notice. Before your potential employer or program asks you for a letter of recommendation, reach out to your professor to ask if it’s something they would be comfortable with. You should begin seeking out potential recommenders the moment you start searching for and applying for opportunities. As it gets closer to the end of the semester, professors may be inundated with grading papers and exams as well as other recommendation letter requests from other students. It’s also common for students to ask for a letter of recommendation after graduation. Most students after graduation are either on the hunt for a new job or looking for their graduate school program and want to line some letters of recommendation up in preparation.
5. Make a clear request. Be direct about what you want — a letter of recommendation extolling your skills in…whatever skills you want highlighted that the professor can speak to. If you’d like to also list the professor as a reference, be sure to confirm that they’re comfortable with this and expect a call or email from a potential employer/program coordinator.
6. Give a pre-addressed envelope with postage. If you really want to make your professor’s life easy (something they’ll appreciate), provide them with pre-paid postage and an addressed envelope. That way, all they have to do is write the letter, put it in the envelope, and mail it. Of course, this only applies if you know exactly when and where the letters are going.
7. Follow up. Don’t be afraid to follow up with your professor if you haven’t heard back from them in a timely manner. It’s possible they may have missed your note or forgotten about it due to other priorities. Equally as important, be sure to follow up with them afterward and send them a thank-you note. It’s important to show your appreciation for their time and effort.

Examples emails asking for a letter of recommendation from a professor

Here are two examples of emails for asking a professor for letter of recommendation:

Request letter for letter of recommendation to professor example

Dear Professor Anderson, I am reaching out to you today to request a letter of recommendation. I have greatly benefited from the courses I have taken with you over the past three years. I am hoping that you feel as though you know me well enough to consider my request. As you can see from the attached cover letter, I am applying for marketing positions in the software industry which require submitting a letter of recommendation. I hope to showcase both my technical prowess and passion for marketing to these potential employers I have included a summary sheet to consolidate my key accomplishments as well as a refresher on my end-of-year project. Additionally, I have attached my resume and transcript which will bring you up to date on my relevant work experience and extracurricular activities. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are comfortable writing a character reference for my time in your classroom. I am more than happy to answer any questions or concerns, or to schedule some time to meet in person to discuss this further. Thank you so much for the valuable time you’ve spent with me in your classroom and for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Martha Wall

Dear Mrs. Hamilton, My name is Martha Wall and I am a student in your business marketing class. I was also in your Intro to Marketing class my junior year. I am currently applying for a variety of internships and they require a letter of recommendation. I was hoping you might write one for me. Your classes were eye-opening for me as a future marketing professional. I took great interest in social media marketing which is the field I hope to enter. I am so grateful for having such an informed and passionate instructor to offer me guidance. I have attached a copy of my resume as well as a summary of my accomplishments, grades, and extracurricular activities. I’d also be happy to discuss this further in person. The letter of recommendation is due on January 9th. You can send it to my email marthawall@school.edu. Thank you for taking the time to consider my request. I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Martha Wall

How do you ask a professor you don’t know well?

If you don’t know a professor well it’s important to guide them along the way and provide them with more information than they might actually need.

Be sure you include any and all feedback you received from this professor during your time with them, as well as a transcript of your grades, if possible.

Be sure to try and dig up a personal anecdote from your class time together. It doesn’t have to be a specific interaction you had together, but rather a tidbit you may have found helpful during their lessons. For example, something like this will help them write about your engagement in their class:

I am hoping to get a letter of recommendation from you because I found your class to be extremely valuable for me and my studies. I felt that our class discussion about religious organizations showcased my ability to debate as well as my passion for theology.

Common mistakes to avoid when asking a professor for a letter of recommendation

You should avoid assuming your professor owes you a letter of recommendation and being impatient when they are writing one. Here are some other common mistakes to avoid when asking a professor for a letter of recommendation:

• Assuming the professor owes you one. Professors are under no obligation to write recommendation letters for anyone. That being said, most teachers enjoy helping their former pupils achieve their goals, as they had a hand in your development. Never assume that a professor is guaranteed to say yes to your request, and be graceful and polite if you’re declined. If you’d like to put the professor down as a reference, confirm that they’re comfortable and available to speak about your professional or academic capabilities.
• Simply asking. It’s not enough to just ask for a recommendation letter. You need to do everything you can to make the process simple and straightforward for the professor. That means collecting and presenting relevant information about yourself, like your resume, transcript, a brief summary of your career goals, and other details that are pertinent to the program or job you’re applying for.
• Being impatient. Once your professor has agreed to write you a recommendation letter and is apprised of the deadline, be patient with them. Don’t keep pestering them with emails asking if/when they’ve sent the letter yet. Trust that they’re professionals who will follow up with you at the appropriate time.

Professor letter of recommendation FAQs

1. Can I ask a professor for a letter of recommendation over email?Yes, you can ask a professor for a letter of recommendation over email. While asking in person is also an option, there is nothing wrong with sending a professor an email to ask them for a letter of recommendation, and some professors even prefer this method of communication.
2. Can I still ask a professor for a letter of recommendation if I don’t know them very well?Yes, you can still ask a professor for a letter of recommendation if you don’t know them very well. Personalize the request as much as possible, and provide the professor with plenty of information and records about your time in their class.
3. Are letters of recommendation important?Yes, letters of recommendation are important. Many employers will want to hear someone else’s opinion of you as part of the hiring process, usually in the form of letters of recommendation or other references. Having a glowing letter of recommendation can be a great way to stand out to employers, and can help put a job application over the top.
4. How far in advance should I ask a professor for a letter of recommendation?You should ask a professor for a letter of recommendation as early as possible. Ideally, you should ask a professor for a letter of recommendation as soon as you find out that you need one, to give them as much time as possible. When you ask a professor for a letter of recommendation, be sure to specify to them the timeline for when you will need it to be completed.
5. How long should a letter of recommendation be?A letter of recommendation should be about one page. The letter should consist of an opening paragraph, a body, and a closing. When asking a professor to write a letter of recommendation, you should provide them with your application materials, a pre-addressed envelope with postage, as well as any other information they may need to write the letter.

Final thoughts

Asking a professor for a letter of recommendation can be daunting, but remember that most professors want to see their students succeed and are happy to write letters of recommendation.

That being said, you should still make every effort to be courteous and make the process as easy as possible. Give the professor plenty of notice before you need the letter of recommendation, and don’t pester or rush them to complete it.

References

1. Arizona State University – How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation

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