Professional References

[coffeenut]

Just wondering who to ask for a reference. The school I'm applying for is asking for three. I've been out of school for 2 years and had a very inter-disciplinary degree which means I took a lot of courses from many departments and did not have close connections with any professors.

Any suggestions?

[MsDarjeeling]

Are you currently working or interning in your intended field of study?  If so you can ask your supervisors to provide LOR's.  You haven't been out of school that long so it is possible some of your professors will remember you.  It couldn't hurt to reach out to a few of them and see if they'd at least be willing to meet with you to discuss your future plans.  If they seem supportive then you could ask about LOR's.

[louise86]

Does the school stipulate how many must be academic references? I only had to have one that was an academic reference and the other two could be either academic or professional.

 

The academic reference was toughest for me as I, like you, did not develop any close connections with professors. First, make a list of the instructors you had more than one class with. Second, pick out those classes where you did something substantial like a research paper, a project, or a presentation and did well. Those are the instructors I would focus on for a reference. 

 

Make an appointment to meet with them in-person if possible. I find they are much more likely to remember you if they see your face. Take a copy of your statement, your GRE scores, your transcript, the assignment you completed, and of course all the materials they need to submit a reference. Discuss your professional goals, why you chose social work, etc., and if you sense things are going well ask for a reference - be specific. I asked for a "strong reference".

 

Good luck!