Recommendations are a necessary transaction in order to move successfully to opportunities within and outside of Yale. They are best when they are RELATIONAL, not TRANSACTIONAL, showing evidence of a strong relationship between student and professor. Here are some general etiquette guidelines for requesting a letter of recommendation, and ways that you can support helping your professor to write the strongest letter possible.

Making the ask

A good rule of thumb is to ask a professor at least one month in advance by making an appointment in office hours. A good way to ask for a letter is: “Do you think you could write a positive letter of recommendation for me to do X?” You should also have a clear idea of why you want that person to write for you.

At a minimum, you should have outstanding performance and participation in the Professor’s class. You should also have demonstrated professional behavior including exemplary attendance with no tardies. These behaviors seem basic, but they are foundational for a strong letter of recommendation, particularly for teaching positions!

You’re likely to get a better letter in a seminar than a lecture, where the professor will have read your work directly. It can also help if the course is related to the opportunity you are applying for. For graduate schools, it definitely helps to have a senior professor (associate or full professor) write you a letter – they have strong networks and name recognition that matter in graduate admissions.

Also consider whether you have worked to develop a relationship with the professor beyond class. This is critical to the difference between a blah letter and a letter that will get you accepted to your heart’s desire. Have you had lunch together, have you opened up with them about the big questions you are thinking about, have you invited them to a performance you have done?

Requesting a letter from Mira Debs

After making a request and getting my acceptance AT LEAST 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE, there are a number of critical pieces of information I need from you in order to help me make the strongest case for you in the recommendation letter.

1) Make an appointment to meet with me in office hours

2) email a copy of your application materials

Also include in your message:

Why you want to do X that you are applying for?

Why does my experience teaching you help make the case for admission?

(Remind me of moments of leadership, growth and struggle when I taught you, work that you are especially proud of…)

How are you thinking about questions related to whatever you are applying for outside of class? (For eg. are you reading Paolo Freire, obsessively watching education TED talks, observing in schools – these are things that I might not otherwise know to capture based on what I observed in class)

3) set up an account via Interfolio. The basic service is free, the delivery service is $48 a year. If you’re a first year, sophomore or junior, it probably doesn’t make sense to pay this fee, so I am happy to send the letter directly to up to 4 internships. If you are a senior applying for jobs or graduate school and will need multiple recommenders and to send out a number of applications, it’s worth paying the $48 dossier service on Interfolio to send up to 50 letters of recommendation.

3) Place a recommendation request via interfolio. This helps me keep track of deadlines and lets you know when my letter is complete. Interfolio will send me reminders and you do not need to worry about reminding me. It also simplifies the login-systems I need to interface with. Once the letter is written, I am happy to send the letter directly to up to 4 internships, beyond that number, consider getting the dossier delivery service on Interfolio.

Communicating the outcomes and staying in touch

Once you have applied for the position/school/scholarship, please keep your recommenders updated! Professors write recommendation letters in their spare time. Thank you notes, flowers, chocolate, etc. are always appreciated. They also care about what happens to you.

Also, keep in touch after graduation! You may find yourself wanting to use college recommenders years down the line when you apply to graduate school. It’s a good idea to check in yearly with a quick note to say how you are doing. This continues to build your relationship, and makes you seem less transactional when you write three years later to ask for a letter of recommendation.

Questions? Comments? Email mira.debs@yale.edu