Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School

Most grad school applicants struggle to find three letters of recommendation and must approach professors who know them little outside of class. If you are that professor, what should you consider before writing a recommendation letter for a student you don't know well?

What should you do if your professor asks you to write your own recommendation letter?

Letters of recommendation are critical to your graduate school application. What happens when they don't arrive?

Letters are a critical, but not well understood, part of your graduate school application. If you're like most applicants, you have questions about seeking letters of recommendation. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions.

What are letters of evaluation for medical school?

My Bachelor's Degree Is From an Online University: How Do I Get a Letter of Recommendation?

Recently a reader asked me whether it's an imposition to ask faculty to not only write letters of recommendation but to return them to the student, each in a separate signed and sealed envelope. Is it too much to ask? Is organizing all that paperwork unreasonable?

Writing a letter of recommendation isn't easy. Review a few sample letters and you'll have a better idea of to say (or not say) about your student.

You've been out of school for several years and want to go to grad school. What do you about getting letters of recommendation?

What is a letter of recommendation?

What do you do if an employee requests a letter of recommendation for graduate study? It might seem as if you're not the right person for the job, but that isn't true.

Nearly all graduate programs require recommendation letters from their applicants. What is a letter of recommendation and how do you get one?

Writing a letter of recommendation isn't easy. What makes for a good letter? Effective letters of recommendation have these 8 characteristics in common.

The letter of recommendation is the part of the graduate school application that students stress most over. How do you get a great letter of recommendation that will win you a spot in graduate school?

By now you know that letters of recommendation are critical to your success in gaining entry to graduate school. But how do you choose people to approach for recommendation letters?

The letter of recommendation is critical to your graduate admissions application, yet is entirely dependent on someone else -- your professor. How you request a letter influences professors' responses and ultimately the quality of your letter of recommendation.

Sure, there are lots of things that you can do to improve your chances of getting a good letter of recommendation from a faculty member. But, what shouldn't you do? Even students with the best intentions make mistakes. Don't be one of them.

What are the experiences that will help you to earn excellent letters of recommendation from faculty?

Midlife applicants to graduate school have special concerns. For example, what do you do about letters of recommendation when you've been out of college for a decade?

Thanking those who write letters of recommendation on your behalf is not just good manners, it's solid professional advice. Here's a sample letter to illustrate this simple but very effective note.

It only takes a moment, but leaves a big impression. Send a thank you note to those who have written on behalf of your graduate school application.

How do you request a letter of recommendation for graduate school when you've been out of graduate school for two years and are living abroad?