Want convincing letters of recommendation? Get started finding your letter writers as early as possible. Most people who make good recommenders are important and accomplished, and important people tend to be busy. Although application deadlines may seem far enough off, you’ll likely find them approaching more rapidly than you expected.

Whom should you choose to write your recommendations? If you’re still in school, seek out professors who can vouch for your ability to work hard. Approach those teachers while they still know you–and be especially keen to find at least one who teaches a subject related to your future studies.

Out of School, Out of Mind.

But what if you’ve been out of school for some time? It only takes a few semesters before a professor becomes distracted by an onslaught of new names and faces. Let a few years pass, and you’re unlikely to find a teacher who remembers you well enough to write about you authoritatively. While you can enroll in a certificate program or non-matriculated course just to network with a particular instructor, it may prove more beneficial to approach someone else, someone from your professional or community experience.

The Professional Recommendation

If you do decide to ask a colleague to write a letter of recommendation, find someone who has supervised, mentored, or managed you in some capacity. You want a person who can attest to your diligence, initiative, and accomplishments.

Consider your extracurricular activities. Have you volunteered in any way? Do you attend Chamber of Commerce, networking, or Toastmasters meetings? You may find excellent potential recommenders amongst the people you’ve met and served alongside in those situations.

The Appeal of Celebrity

You may be tempted to scour your family or social network for ties to community or political leaders. If you do, avoid any “celebrity” recommender with whom you’re only marginally acquainted. Having a letter from a famous actor or senator won’t do you any good if it’s obvious that he or she doesn’t really know you. In fact, it can hurt your application.

Make Sure They Really Want To.

Also avoid asking for a recommendation via email or voicemail. Busy people are often bombarded with messages, and are usually less able to check and respond to correspondence in a timely manner. Furthermore, given the absence of visual and auditory feedback, you’ll have a much harder time detecting whether the person really wants to write a letter for you.

And that’s crucial, as a recommendation from someone who’s not enthusiastic about helping you is potentially detrimental. Whenever possible, ask your prospective recommenders in person, taking careful note of their reactions–particularly their facial expressions–when you make your request. When physical proximity is not a possibility, the telephone is your next best option (in which case, you should listen for as many auditory cues as you can). In any case, the moment you detect hesitation from your potential letter writer, back down and find someone else. A lukewarm recommendation, like one written by someone who hardly knows you, can hurt your application.

Pulling It All Together

How many recommendations should you pursue? Most schools require two or three. In any case, before contacting possible recommenders, make sure you’ve got more names than you’ll need. The odds of someone agreeing to write a recommendation–and then not coming through with it–are high enough to warrant having at least one more letter writer than you’re required to have.

Even when you’ve got a short list of good, potential recommenders, don’t expect them all to dash off letters without offering them some guidance. To that end, remind or apprise your letter writers of any specific points you want to make. In addition to a summary of your professional goals, include a list of bullet points delineating projects, situations, or accomplishments you’d like them to highlight. Of course, those can differ depending on the recommender, so make certain to be specific about things that each writer can attest to uniquely.

You should also include a current draft of your personal statement. Not only might that give your recommenders more insight into you and your intentions, but it can also garner some constructive critiques. Having multiple perspectives on your personal statement, especially from people in academia or other high positions, is crucial to making that essay more persuasive.

In addition, don’t forget to include your resume and some information about the program to which you’re applying, particularly the application deadline. If it’s practical and possible, a copy of your transcript might also prove helpful–though it’s not necessary.

What Are They Saying About You?

It bears noting that you may not get to see what your recommenders write about you, as some schools get those letters directly from the letter writers, not you. Even if you do get to see the letter beforehand, however, do not take the liberty of rewriting or revising it. If you find spelling, grammatical, formatting, and/or factual errors, bring them to the attention of your recommender in a humble, non accusatory manner. Always remember that the person is doing you a favor, and make sure that each recommender gets some appreciative feedback; don’t forget to send each recommender a thank-you note once you’ve sent in your application(s).

In some cases, a prospective recommender may ask you to write the letter on their behalf. While there are ethical considerations specific to that, don’t ever offer to write such a self-recommendation when you approach your letter writers. It reflects both a lack of faith in them and questionable ethical standards on your part.

In sum, securing persuasive, honest, and thoughtful letters of recommendation requires time, tact, keen perceptual skills, and detailed planning. If you’re seriously considering graduate school, get your “recommendation campaign” started now, no matter where you are in the application process. Unlike your personal statement, recommendations are not completely within your control; the sooner you get those arranged, the sooner you can address potential problems.

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