Information for Students Seeking Letters of Recommendation

At some point during your studies, you might find that you need a Letter of Recommendation

from a referee, or someone who can provide an evaluation of your potential for success in

academic and/or professional settings. Students may need to provide Letters of Recommendation

for various scholarships, awards, and of course graduate school applications.

Consequently, in addition to your coursework, GPA, and other academic experience, Letters of

Recommendation are a pretty standard tool used in higher education and other professional

It depends. In general, in trying to identify a good reference, you should consider the following

factors:

1. Does the faculty member know who you are?

2. Have you done well in any/several of a faculty member’s courses?

3. Have you been an advisee of the faculty member for multiple semesters?

4. Have you ever spoken with the faculty member about your career goals?

5. Have you conducted a research project with the faculty member?

6. Have you been actively involved in University- and/or Department-level organizations (e.g.,

Student Government Association, the B.A.S.S. Club)?

of recommendation”). There is a huge difference, obviously, but it gets into the fact that some

faculty members might say “Sure, I’ll write a letter for you” and say negative things about you.

More likely, however, is that they simply don’t know you very well and will end up writing very

average things about you in that letter. Have you ever heard the expression “damning with faint

praise?” You want to avoid that problem and get the STRONGEST possible letters.

Thus, if you clearly ask “Would you be willing and able to write a STRONG letter of

recommendation for me” up front, you weed out anyone who might not know you well enough

to write a strong letter, as well as those folks who you probably wouldn’t want writing for you in

*PLEASE NOTE: I may NOT be a good referee if you:

1. Have not had me for a class.

2. Have not performed well in my class(es).

3. Have attended my class(es) but never really made an impression (e.g., you didn’t participate,

attend regularly, etc.). It is very difficult for me to write a strong letter if I don’t know you. And

remember, you want STRONG letters!

4. Only know me through 1-2 semesters of advising and have never really discussed with me

4. Alright…I think I know who to ask and how to go about it. What’s next?

for the relative strength of your letters. Yes, it is up to the referees to actually write the letters,

but Keith-Spiegel and Wiederman (2000) argue that the “best help a referee can give a student is

to provide specific and detailed examples of accomplishments or character traits that will

validate the quality of an applicant’s record” (p. 176). Thus, in order to ensure a good letter, you

should provide your referees with the following information that will help them help you:

1. A reminder how the faculty member “knows you.” If it’s just from one or two classes, that’s

fine. Remind him/her how you did in the class(es). Were you really involved? How would you

assess your contribution?

2. The program (school, department, degree you’re seeking, emphasis, if appropriate). This may

5. A current transcript (unofficial is fine).

6. Your overall GPA.

7. Your “major-specific” GPA.

8. Your “relevant” GPA (if different from #7). This might take a little work, but it’s worth it, as

it can balance a not-so-stellar overall GPA. For example, if you’re applying to a Social Work

program, calculate your GPA for any and all courses you’ve taken that you consider “relevant.”

that you’re particularly proud of, etc.

10. Your involvement in relevant extracurricular activities. Are you a member of any

professional organizations?

Other things you should consider including:

1. GRE/standardized test scores.

2. Do you have a Curriculum Vita? If not, you should. It’s nice to include with your application

Work hard to organize your materials! Eliminate any ambiguity. Take advantage of the wide

availability of computers, printers, etc. For example, you might consider printing address labels.

This will minimize the chances that some stressed out faculty member will send your letter to the

wrong address!

Once you have organized these materials, you should also remember to include a deadline for

mailing the letter(s). This should be an actual date (i.e., when you want it mailed; not when your

applications are due).

Remember, when asking for recommendations, your best bet is to make it as easy and organized

Other tips:

 Start early!

 Find a friend/classmate to serve as your “grad school buddy” as you navigate the process.

 Graduate school is “all about the fit.” You need to really think about how well a particular

program “fits” your interests and helps you achieve your goals. For example, if you want to

study children with ADHD but for some reason apply to schools where there are no faculty

members doing that type of work, it won’t matter what your application looks like…you are

unlikely to be accepted.

 Be strategic and thoughtful when identifying prospective programs/schools. Ask yourself,

admission: Psychology, counseling, and related profession (2

ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates: Mahwah, NJ.

successful students and prominent psychologists. American Psychological Association:

Washington, DC.

Kuther, T. L. (2008). Surviving graduate school in psychology: A pocket mentor. American

Psychological Association: Washington, DC.

Landrum, R. E., & Davis, S. F. (2010). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for

success (2