letters of rec- graduated student

[hopefulslp1]

Does anyone have any advice about how they went about getting letters of rec if they were already graduated/not on campus? I decided to take a gap year and will be applying this fall but I'm not sure what to say in my email to my professors. When I was on campus it was easy to add in that I could just come into their office hours to discuss the possibility of a letter but now I'm not quite sure what to say since I'm back at home and 2.5 hours from school plus I'll have a job in the fall. Should I just say that I can send them whatever materials they might need should they be able to and that I'm free to discuss anything else they might need to know? 

[jarrodthomas]

Which schools are you planning to apply to? I know that the schools that I have started the application with have a part where they send a link through email to them regarding writing the letter so they don't need to mail it. I think it all depends on your relationship with those professors/ professionals. Nothing changes in a year. What they could say about you a year ago is still applicable now. What you may want to send them is a little background in a very nicely written email just stating your interests, why you want to pursue that interest with a graduate degree, (optional) career goals, future plans, etc. Just make sure to make it known that you are always available as a resource should they accept to write your letter of rec. I hope this helps!

[pbandj]

How close were you with these professors? To jog their memory, you may want to first introduce yourself and which courses you took with them. Provide examples of your work in those courses if you still have them. Tell them if they are able and willing to write a letter, you will provide them with your personal statement, resume, and if you want you can also send them your unofficial transcript. That should cover most information they'll need. You can even just send those documents in the first email rather than in a follow-up, that way they can really judge if they'll be able to write a LOR, plus they'll have all your information in one convenient email.

Also, let them know which schools you're applying to, how each school accepts LORs, and the deadlines for each program. Most programs now send an email invitation to that professor to complete the LOR online, but some do still require physical LORs. Make sure to follow up on whether they're receiving these invitations, especially since you won't be able to see them in person. One of my recommenders is in another state and we had to communicate strictly through email - it's totally possible! Just anticipate the information they might need and make the writing process as easy as possible for them. Good luck!

[hopefulslp1]

16 hours ago, pbandj said:

How close were you with these professors? To jog their memory, you may want to first introduce yourself and which courses you took with them. Provide examples of your work in those courses if you still have them. Tell them if they are able and willing to write a letter, you will provide them with your personal statement, resume, and if you want you can also send them your unofficial transcript. That should cover most information they'll need. You can even just send those documents in the first email rather than in a follow-up, that way they can really judge if they'll be able to write a LOR, plus they'll have all your information in one convenient email.

Also, let them know which schools you're applying to, how each school accepts LORs, and the deadlines for each program. Most programs now send an email invitation to that professor to complete the LOR online, but some do still require physical LORs. Make sure to follow up on whether they're receiving these invitations, especially since you won't be able to see them in person. One of my recommenders is in another state and we had to communicate strictly through email - it's totally possible! Just anticipate the information they might need and make the writing process as easy as possible for them. Good luck!

Thanks! And not terribly close because I went to a large university and my graduating shs cohort had around 100 students in it. I'm mostly just sending these emails now so that I can try and get confirmations from them before the current seniors start asking them in the fall. But I have some drafts typed up so hopefully those will work!