How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation from a Professor
During your college career, you might need to have a few letters of recommendation in hand to get an extremely competitive internship, scholarship, grant money or entry-level job. Or you may need the letter for an application to graduate school. Approach a professor you know well and respect to compose such a letter.
Instructions
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Make a list of the classes that you performed well in. (You should have obtained a B average or better, displayed active participation in discussions, arrived on time and attended all or nearly all classes.) Professors will be more likely to write recommendations for students who showed an interest and were engaged in class than apathetic students.
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Ask yourself which of the listed classes helped you to fine-tune or develop skills for the opportunity you need the letter for. For example, if you want a journalism internship, relevant classes would be speech, reporting, copy editing and composition.
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Arrange to meet with the professor in person. Contact him by telephone or email. If you have moved away already and an in-person meeting is not feasible, communicate via email.
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Outline what points that you want to get across to your professor. Communicate why you want him to do this favor. Explain how much you valued the professor's class and what you learned from it.
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State why you want this letter of recommendation ( "I'm applying for a journalism internship in Washington, D.C.") and when ("in December").
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Provide the professor with background information, including academic transcripts, a resume and personal contact information.
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Arrange a timeline. If your deadline is two months away, say so. It's best to have the letter at least a week before your deadline. If, for example, the internship you're applying for states that the school seal and the professor's ink signature is required on the letter, make sure you let your professor know. Allow your professor at least three weeks to do you this favor.
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Tell your professor how you would like to receive the letter once it's completed. For instance, you might want to receive it in the regular mail, pick it up at his office or have it faxed.
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Let your instructor know whether you got the internship or other opportunity.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep in touch with your professor once a week to ensure progress is being made.
If you need more than one academic reference in a short period of time, ask multiple professors. Some professors will respond much more quickly to emails than phone calls, and vice versa.
The professor has every right to say no. If this happens, thank the professor politely for their time and leave it at that.
