who should i ask to write a letter of recommendation?

WHO SHOULD I ASK TO WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION?

Ask a trusted adult who is not your family member. This could be a teacher, a coach, a

mentor, someone from your faith community, a boss, someone who you have

volunteered with, etc.

Pro Tip: Ask someone who has known you for a long time or who has seen you work

hard at school, a job, or an extra-curricular activity. They'll be able to do a great job

sharing why you should be selected for this program.

HOW SHOULD I ASK THEM?

Ask them in person, call them on the phone, or send them an email.

Pro Tip: If you talk with your recommender in person or on the phone, send them an

email afterwards to say thank you and remind them!

WHEN SHOULD I ASK THEM?

As soon as possible!

Pro Tip: If you give a recommender enough time (think about asking a month ahead of

time!), it shows them that you respect their busy schedule. Plus, this will give them

enough time to write a really good letter.

WHAT SHOULD I SAY?

Hello [Name of Potential Recommender],

I hope you're week is going well!

I have a favor to ask. I'm applying to a program this summer at UW-Madison. The

program includes taking classes for credit and completing an internship. I can't wait! As

a part of the application process, I need a letter of recommendation.

Would you be willing to write a letter for me? Your class [or being on your team, or

being mentored by you, etc.] was a really great experience for me because of [how you

taught me to..., how you supported me when...]. A recommendation from you would be

especially meaningful because of how important being in your class [or on your team, or

mentored by you, etc.] has been for me.

Thank you so much for considering this!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Pro Tip: It's normal to be nervous. Try practicing the conversation or see if a friend or

family member can read your email before you send it.

WHAT SHOULD THEY SAY?

They should tell us (1) how they know you and how long they have known you, (2) your

best qualities, skills, talents, (3) examples of when they saw you excel, and (4) why they

think you would be a good fit for this program.

Pro Tip: There are tons of letter of recommendation examples on line. If your

recommender is struggling to know what to write, you can offer to find an example letter

and send it to them.

NEED HELP?

Program information, essay questions, instructions for letters of recommendation and

information about internships can be found at https://studentjobs.wisc.edu/leapforward/.

If you need assistance, email [email protected].