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Reference Letter Request

STEPS TO REQUEST A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

You are headed to work, college or an apprenticeship post high school. Hopefully you’re also applying for scholarships!  A letter of recommendation provides someone who DOES NOT KNOW YOU information from someone who DOES know you.  They are great testimonials & references for opportunities to which you may be applying.

 

STEP 1:  HOW MANY?  

Determine what type of recommendation you need (and HOW MANY you will need)

  • Recommendation for a JOB or OPPORTUNITY (summer program, job shadow, internship, etc...)

  • College recommendation - focused on a career, research school or liberal arts college

  • Scholarships - you may need to request a PAPER COPY of this recommendation to submit with scholarship applications or provide a mailing envelope with address & stamp for recommender to mail to scholarship provider.  

 

 

STEP 2: WHO

Determine WHO will you request a recommendation from & WHY

 

STEP 3:

Gather information about yourself (think of it as a brag book)

Include the “Brag Sheet”  or “Brag Book” in your request

AND/OR Create a SHARED FOLDER of information to assist them in writing your letter.

  • Recommendation for Job > Provide a resume of your skills, activities & abilities.  

  • Any other Recommendations > College, Internships, Summer Opportunities.  Include Awards, Community Service, Grades, Athletics. You can simply include your high school resume if that’s easiest.

 

STEP 4: ASK

ASK the teacher/staff/community member if they have the TIME to WRITE you a letter and if they are willing to do so.  (Be sure you have their CORRECT email or other contact information) 

 

  • Send via email

  • Possibly drop a quick card/note in their MAILBOX in the main office

  • Follow up after you have sent the email to insure delivery 

 

STEP 5: DEADLINE 

MUST provide a recommender at least 2-3 weeks advance notice.

  • Dates may vary depending on the college deadline or employment location.

  • Use your first deadline as your guide for all requests.  (earliest we have seen is Nov 1) 

 

STEP 6:  REMIND RECOMMENDER by sending a THANK YOU before your deadline. 

Now you have THANKED them & REMINDED them of the deadline. 

 

 

 

 

 

REMINDER & THANK YOU EXAMPLE 

 

Hi Recommender Name,

I just wanted to reach out to you regarding my letter of recommendation (deadline date), I am so excited to apply to __________________ and your letter is ____{insert feeling}_______. I wanted to just reach out to remind you how important this is for me and how important YOU are to me too! Thank you for the time you have committed to writing this letter and I appreciate the many things you ____{specifics about them}_________. Especially when ________{this happened}_____ and how you handled ____{this with me}______. I have some really great memories of our time together. As a reminder the letter must be submitted to ______{uploaded into my common app account/emailed to email@address.com/mailed to address, city, state/provided to me in a sealed and signed envelope by deadline date}____. If you need me to forward this request again, please let me know. Sometimes these things may get sent into your spam folder and I am happy to send the request again. Again I am very grateful for your support of my future goals. I will be in touch to let you know if anything about my plan or application has changed. Thank you again! I look forward to sharing my results of this application process!!  Go T-Birds!

 

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