Letters of Recommendation

[pickfights]

Hi all! 

 

I'm not planning on applying until fall 2015 for fall 2016 admission, but I'm a nerd and I like to plan. My question is how far in advance should I let people know I would like a letter of rec from them? I graduated college in June 2014 so hopefully I will still be fresh in people's minds, and while I haven't narrowed down the exact people I want to ask, my pool of potentials have all either offered or have actually written me a letter of rec before, so this won't be SUPER out of the blue. I was also wondering how you all got your letters of rec? People have recommended the site Interfolio - has anyone used it? Is it useful? I want to make this process as easy as possible for my recommenders. Anything else related to letters of rec would be helpful.

 

Thanks! 

[snyegurachka]

I asked my professors casually around the beginning of the school year and again (formally and slightly frantically) when I received a notice that the Emory application offered fee waivers for apps submitted before October 31. I made sure that I had versions of my list of potential schools, Statement of Purpose, CV, and Writing Sample prepared so that my letter writers could have an idea of what my applications were going to look like. My letter writers were my MA thesis advisor, second thesis reader, and a professor I had taken a number of classes with who was helping me with preparing my phd applications. I guess the long and short of this is: ask as soon as you are prepared and sure of your decisions, and be prepared soon (but not too soon). September, 2015.

[peachypie]

I contacted/conversed with all of my letters of recommendation writers probably around August/September of the fall I was applying.  This was for applications due between November 30th and January 1st.  I let them know I was planning on applying to graduate school this fall, what programs I was interested in, general gist and some of the schools I applied to.  I made sure to get the "ok" from them.  One of my more prominent writers asked for my updated CV as well as a short paragraph of different things I had accomplished in my time working with them as well as requesting a list of programs and due dates once I had solidified my list.  Others just said ok.  Then I tried to get all my letters of recommendation request to them via electronic submission at least a month before the deadlines.  Whenever I got to a batch of schools I send out an email to them nearly immediately after stating You should have received a request(s) from XYZ instituation.  I am planning on applying to the XYZ program there.  the deadline for this application is DAY month/day/year.  Please let me know if you have any questions or did not receive notification.  

 

All of my recommendation writers knew me well and knew something like this was coming and was happy to write it.  Pick the people that can speak well to your abilities as a graduate student  (often this should not only be PhDs in your field but also people who are researching actively).  All of my applications had an online submission system so I had no other option to request.  i don't know what those looked like when they were received which is why I always sent out my follow up email so that everyone knew the program specifically, the school, the deadline etc.  

[monochrome]

I casually mentioned in June that I would be applying in fall. In early August, I gave them all of the information they needed and told them I was hoping to turn in my applications by mid-September. (I gave an exact date.) One had the letter for me in one week, one finished a week before the deadline I had given, and one turned it in the day of.

Edited January 13, 2015 by monochrome

[ashiepoo72]

I'd mention your graduate school plans to your potential rec writers pretty much immediately, keep in touch with him about your preparation for the next 6 or 8 months (including getting their advice on programs, SOPs, etc) then ask them if they'd be willing to write you a LOR. You want you and graduate school to be in their minds before you ask for a letter. I'd also try to line up an extra rec writer just in case one.

[pickfights]

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I'm planning on applying to a few cal states which require paper letters of rec (ridiculous, i know) and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. Also, its best to have a variety of letters of rec right? I probably wouldn't want two people from the same organization? Just want some confirmation. 

[MermaidturnedMSW]

I asked my rec writers about 2 months before. I received letters from my BSW Field Supervisor, my BSW Field Instructor, and a SW professor who I knew really well. The last two were both from my undergrad. 

[monochrome]

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I'm planning on applying to a few cal states which require paper letters of rec (ridiculous, i know) and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. Also, its best to have a variety of letters of rec right? I probably wouldn't want two people from the same organization? Just want some confirmation. 

All three of my letter writers were from my current job, but are in different positions (director, therapist, mental health school counselor).

[Nochal]

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I'm planning on applying to a few cal states which require paper letters of rec (ridiculous, i know) and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. Also, its best to have a variety of letters of rec right? I probably wouldn't want two people from the same organization? Just want some confirmation. 

I asked my letter writers 3 months before the deadline, but asked them to have the letters written in 2 months because I wanted to submit my application early, which they completely understood. My letter writers were from different organizations: a previous internship site, a professor, and my human services related job. I think having three different sources for your letters will give admissions a better picture of who you are. However, if you will get strong letters from two people from the same organization, I don't think it will hurt your application assuming the rest of your application is strong.

[amers]

One of my schools required paper letters of rec (and a paper application, ugh). My best advice would be to make it as easy as possible for the person writing yours. Send them specific instructions about what to send, the address to send it to, ect. If they need to send another form with their letter (mine did) make sure you send it to your rec writer beforehand and fill out as much of the personal information as you can for them. I think profs or internship supervisors are pretty used to sending out letters of rec in many forms, so they shouldn't be too confused by the paper forms.

[Nochal]

Also, I think it's beneficial if you can set up a meeting with each of your letter writers to discuss what you have been doing since you last spoke to them. I met with each of my letter writers for about 20-30 minutes to discuss my career goals and all that before they wrote the letter. I brought my resume, the latest draft of my personal statement I was applying with, and a copy of my academic transcripts. So, if you meet with them, just bring anything that you think would help them write your letter for you.

[pickfights]

Another question! When choosing who will write your Letter of Rec, what characters should you prioritize? For example, what has more pull?

 

- Someone who knows you very well or you have worked with for a long time

- Someone in a high position (Director of a non profit, for example)

- Someone whose position is closely related to social work (case worker at your non profit)

- Someone who's a good writer

- Someone with an MSW themselves

 

These are just some examples. What do you think is most important? I hope this question makes sense