Asking for a Letter of Recommendation
Asking someone to write a letter of recommendation for you can be a difficult task. If you follow these steps, it should help make the process go smoothly.
- A good time to approach instructors is during their office hours. For others, mention that you would like to speak with them about your plans to go to a health profession school and ask when might be a good time.
- Write a one-page summary that includes the class you took from him/her, semester, grade (if a professor) before your meeting and take this with you.
- When you meet, give each letter writer the Instructions/Waiver Form.
- If the letter writer is hesitant or unsure about writing a letter for you, move on. Do not try to convince him/her to write the letter; the end result probably won't help you.
- Aim to get two letters from science professors, one non-science and one to two letters from clinical supervisors (patient care and/or research)
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