Asking for recommendations
Who to ask, when to ask, and what to give them so the letter sounds like you and arrives on time.
01Who to ask
Someone who has seen you work — really seen you. A teacher who graded a long piece of writing or a project. A coach. A mentor from a job, a volunteer role, or a previous program. The person who knows you well will write a stronger letter than the person with the most impressive title.
If you're between a teacher who clearly likes you and one whose subject is closer to the program, lean toward the one who knows you. A specific, warm letter beats a polite, distant one every time.
02When to ask
At least four weeks before the deadline. Three weeks is tight. Two weeks puts them in a hard spot and you'll feel it in the letter.
Ask in person if you can, even briefly. Follow up the same day by email with the deadline, the link, and exactly how the letter needs to be submitted.
03The packet you send them
One PDF with: (1) the program name and a one-sentence description, (2) the deadline in bold, (3) submission instructions, (4) your CV, (5) a short 'brag sheet' — three or four moments from your time with them where you did something they'd remember, written in enough detail that they could quote a line if they wanted to.
Yes, you write the brag sheet. No, this isn't cheating. You're helping a busy person who has known a hundred students remember the specific reasons they like you.
04After they say yes
Send a polite reminder about ten days before the deadline: 'Just a friendly nudge — let me know if there's anything else I can send over.'
After they submit, thank them properly. A handwritten card if you can, a thoughtful email if you can't. It takes two minutes and it changes how they write your next letter — and how they talk about you when no one's looking.