If you just want a letter of recommendation–and not necessarily a good one, you don’t have to read this post. Go ahead and ask your professor/ instructor for a letter of recommendation any which way you’d like, and–don’t worry about it.

But if you want to ask your teacher to write you a letter of recommendation that thoughtfully details your strengths and underlines strong emotional support for whatever it is you’re applying, then read on…

Your instructor, bottom line, does NOT want to write you a bad letter of recommendation. The thing that frustrates an instructor most of all is not being given the resources to write you an excellent letter of recommendation. We WANT to see you succeed, and we do not want to let you down–but we also need certain things to enable us to do our best for you.

So here is a list of resources to provide (and when to provide them) to professors.

In your initial letter:

  • Offer enough time to write an excellent letter: Provide the deadline and give at least 3-4 weeks leeway, if not more. If you don’t give at least 3-4 weeks advance notice, your teacher may not be able to write you a letter in time (especially since letter writing season tends to overlap with “grading lots of papers and turning in final grades” season or the precarious, “we aren’t checking our email because we are on vacation” season or the very possible “I am also writing X other letters of recommendation”). Or worse, your letter will be very rushed and lukewarm. Again, if you don’t care about the quality of your letter or you don’t care that your teacher now has a dent on their head from bashing their head against their desk, then you can disregard this point.
  • Ask in person, if possible. But if you cannot ask in person, ask via email. And always be very polite and respectful. You’d think this was a no brainer, but–you’d be surprised at the number of flippant “Hi can you write me a letter of recommendation for blah blah?” emails professors do receive.
  • Do not officially submit your professor’s name to the institution until you receive a yes from the professor. OMG, yes, this happens. The institutions DO automatically email the letter writer, sometimes immediately. And it’s weird for a letter writer to see a request from a letter via XX university / XX fellowship before receiving a personal request to which they’ve haven’t yet agreed.
  • Why it is you believe they are the person who should write your recommendation letter: Who doesn’t like being buttered up? And also, what an excellent way to model what you’d like for your instructor to write on your behalf! Also, it helps your letter writer understand what value they can add to your application. For example, telling your instructor that they were the person who has seen you through the entire draft of your manuscript and can attest to your growth–is insightful and helpful. Another example might be that this instructor might have taught you after a particularly challenging time in your life and that they are witness to your resilience as a writer (and this instructor may not previously know the importance of their timing in your education).
  • A promise to provide supplemental materials should the professor say yes: these materials should be ready to go (i.e., application materials–and even if they’re not ready, have a general summary ready to go).

If your professor says yes, please provide the following:

  • Your application materials, along with your writing sample (or statement of purpose) for an MFA program/writing fellowship/writing residency / Ph.D. program: You want to help your letter writer feel informed about your application and overall preparation. And also, it’s nice for your letter writer to know what it is you’ve written so that they can write a letter that supports your stated strengths and/or adds to what you’ve already written.
  • What you would like for your letter writer to highlight in your letter of recommendation: Make it easy for your letter writer to write a recommendation–it helps to know where it is we should start. Giving your letter writer every foothold onto how you should be represented is helpful to both you and your recommender.
  • Provide necessary administrative details: Gone are the days (I hope I hope I hope) when letters had to be sent via snail mail. But if an institution requires snail-mailed letters, please provide a self-addressed-stamped-envelope.
  • Provide necessary logistical details: Most letters are sent electronically these days–whether via submittable or a dossier service like Interfolio. Specify to your letter writer from where requests will come or should be sent. Sometimes automatic email requests get lost in spam or a subfolder, so it will only help your recommender to know for what to look in their email. That you have researched and understand these details only adds to the strength of your candidacy, too.

If your professor balks or says they can’t:

  • Be gracious and say thank you anyway.
  • Contact your backup letter writers.

Just as students don’t get compensated for writing an application–neither do educators. It isn’t part of our job description and we certainly aren’t compensated for writing letters–but of course, we do it because we love our students and want you to succeed. So when you write your request, make sure to be as respectful and professional as you can, even if this is the professor with whom you’ve had beers after MFA workshop. Trust me, the professor will understand and appreciate your erring on the side of formality and politeness when it comes to a letter of recommendation request.

In sum: a wonderful student (whose initials are S.F.), once said to me, “One should put the same amount of care into a request as the care they request be put into a letter of recommendation.“

BOOM.

via GIPHY

Right? You want your professor to write a professional, respectful, and compassionate letter stating your strengths to whichever institution you apply. So you want to emulate that tone when you request your letter.

Also–don’t forget to say thank you. A simple thank you note or small gift suffices after the fact. Or if you haven’t bought your professor’s book, now might be the time? Let us know the outcome of your application (remember, we’re rooting for you) even if unsuccessful–honestly, writing a letter of recommendation is like sending a wish out into the world, and we have a vested interest in what happens, too. And if you find yourself no longer needing the letter, let us know asap.

I hope this helps you on your journey. And here’s to many excellent letters of recommendation for you and positive application outcomes!