Who should write recommendation letters for you?

•  Faculty

• Make sure they knowyou and can speak highly about your personal characteristics as well as your grades.

•  Supervisors

• These can be supervisors on the job or from a long standing volunteer or college club activity. They can address qualities such as work ethic, motivation and willingness to learn, etc.

•  If several years have passed since earning your degree, reconnect with former faculty and share your plans for graduate school with them.

•  Do not use family and friends as references as they might not be seen as objective.

Make the process as easy as possible for your recommender:

• Contact them first to ask if they would be willing-and have time-to provide a recommendation.

• Complete the top portion of the recommendation form and sign the FERPA waiver (see note below).

• Be sure to tell them the program and degree to which you're applying and include information about yourself: a resume or bio; a copy of your personal statement; a copy of a good paper you may have submitted in their class.

• Give them a specific date to send the information in by.  Send the recommendation information at least one month before you would like it sent to the program.

• Provide the recommender with a preaddressed, stamped envelope.

FERPA, which is the Family & Educational Rights & Privacy Act, requires that you have access to the recommendation, unless you specifically waive access. This is your decision.  However, many admissions committees view the accuracy and honesty of a recommendation more favorably if access is waived.