Most graduate programs require students to submit 1 to 3 letters of recommendation.

Whom should you ask? 

For graduate school: 

• At least one should come from a professor who knows you well. This requires you to plan ahead, ideally several months ahead. Over the course of your time at Bates, make sure that you get to know at least one professor outside of the classroom. How do you do this? By attending office hours, attending lectures, becoming a teaching or laboratory assistant, consistently attending and participating in their classes, and/or engaging in independent research or other activities. 
• Additional letters may come from managers/supervisors, colleagues, and/or others who know you well professionally and personally as described above.

For a job or internship: 

• A current or recent supervisor who knows your work ethic and strengths; a teacher, coach, or professor who knows your work ethic, interpersonal skills in class discussions, and personality; an adult mentor or leader who knows your work or volunteer habits and history.

How should you ask? 

Ask in person. Make an appointment. Bring your resume and personal statement (if finished) with you.  Let your recommender know why you’re applying to the specific program and why you’re pursuing the degree. The best time to ask would be the spring or early in the summer before you plan to apply. That’ll give your recommender adequate time to write a thoughtful letter.  It also demonstrates your respect for their time and conveys that you’re planning ahead and taking the task of applying seriously.

Ask your desired recommender if they feel they’d be able to write a strong recommendation for you. If not, thank them gracefully and move on to another. If yes, be sure to provide the recipients’ names and online submission instructions, or addresses as well as addressed envelopes with the proper postage (if letters need to be physically sent — forever stamps are always a good idea). You should express your thanks to your recommenders after you submit your applications, and update them with the outcomes of your applications.

NOTE: If you’re planning to apply after you’ve graduated from Bates, make sure that you stay in touch with faculty members who’ll likely write letters of recommendations for you. If you can’t ask in person, set up a phone or video appointment. Supply a resume and a general statement on what you’ve been doing since Bates in advance of the appointment. Of course, the more actively you stay in communication with faculty members, the more comfortable they’ll likely be to write for you.

What information should you provide? Give your recommender a well-organized document including:

• Name of the Institution/Employer & Name of the Program/Job Title
• Deadline for submitting the letter of recommendation
• Your resume and unofficial Bates transcript
• A statement of purpose for the program (if requesting for graduate school)
• Your long-term career goals as related to this application
• Your reason for choosing this person as a recommender (based on your relationship with them)

What’s included in a letter of recommendation?

A good letter of recommendation will let the program know not only about your scholarly aptitude but about your outside interests and character traits as well. It should be apparent that your professor knows you as more than just the student who got an “A” on their final exam. They should be able to compare you not just to other students in their courses, but to other students at Bates, as well as to other students they’ve taught in their career. The same holds true for your other recommenders.

Traits that recommenders may want to comment on are those that are helpful to the admissions committee in deciding whether you have what it takes to succeed in the program, including but not limited to: ability to work independently, ability to collaborate with others, written and verbal communication skills, intellectual ability, integrity, judgment, leadership, commitment to a particular career, maturity, curiosity, motivation, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, ability to receive criticism and grow from it.

Your recommenders will most likely be instructed to send their letters directly to the programs and you should expect to waive your right to view the recommendations.  Programs vary in their requirements for transmission: Some will require the recommender to upload the recommendation online. Others will require that it be sent by regular mail, usually with a cover form that must be printed from the program’s website.

NOTE: If you’re not planning to use your letters immediately (e.g., waiting to apply, obtaining a letter from a professor who may be going on sabbatical or leaving Bates), there are various credential management services, such as Interfolio, available to Bates College students and alumni.

Consider the following:

1. REQUEST EARLY. Ask people if they’d be willing to be listed as a reference for your internship/job search before you list them. Let them know that you may share their contact details with employers at some point in the next several weeks/months. You don’t have to wait until an employer asks you for a list to put the list together. 
2. BE INTENTIONAL. Who should you ask? A current or recent supervisor who knows your work ethic and strengths in a professional context. A teacher, professor, or coach who knows your work ethic and contributions in class discussions or team activities. An adult mentor or community leader who knows your work or volunteer habits and history.
3. UPON REQUEST ONLY. Don’t provide references unless specifically asked to do so in the application instructions or during the interview process. Don’t list them on your resume, and don’t include “References available upon request” on your resume. 
4. BE PREPARED. Have a list of references ready to share when asked. Provide information for 3 people unless a different number is requested. Share their name, title, employer, phone number, email address, and relationship to you, including relevant years of that relationship.
5. CHECK OUT THIS EXAMPLE: 

REFERENCES

Dr. Allen Delong
Senior Associate Dean, Center for Purposeful Work, Bates College
(207)786-8232; adelong@bates.edu
I worked for Dr. Delong from 2014 to 2023 as a career advisor at the Center for Purposeful Work at Bates College.

Amy Jaffe
Program Analyst, Higher Education Research Institute
(315) 555-2134; ajaffe@alumni.colgate.edu
Amy and I interned together at Boston College’s Office of Institutional Research and completed a data analysis project together in the summer of 2021.

Martha (Marty) Deschaines
Retired Volunteer Supervisor, Auburn YWCA
(207) 555-3434; mdesch@imail.co
I was a group facilitator for teens at the YWCA, supervised by Marty, from January 2021 through December 2022.