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Sample Letter of Request for Recommendation
Sample Request for a Letter of Recommendation
By Jennifer Glass, CSUDH
On Tuesday, April 1, 2003, Jennifer Glass wrote to confirm
her oral request for a letter of recommentdation:
Subject: Letter of Recommendation
Jeanne,
I am applying for admission to the XYZ Graduate Program,
Sociology Option. In my letters of recommendation, three issues
need to be addressed: (After the questions, in parentheses, I
put some suggestions of different issues I plan to include in my
essay when I answer these same questions.)
- What in the applicant's background indicates this
subject matter is appropriate for the applicant?
(Honor student, BA in Sociology, learned sociological
concepts that could apply to this area : ex. illocutionary
discourse, etc.)
- Why applicant desires this degree program?
(Get good job, further education,etc.)
- What does applicant plan to do with this degree once
obtained?
(I am currently employed by Charlie's Hoopla, and I
hope to further advance my career in this company.)
If you have any questions, let me know. Thank you very
much for helping me with this! I greatly appreciate it!!
Jennifer Glass
On Monday, April 14, 2003, jeanne wrote the following, with a
couple of very polite reminders in the interim:
April 14, 2003
XYZ Graduate Program,
Sociology Option
Admissions Committee:
This letter is in support of the application for admission
of Ms. Looky Loo. She has supplied me with a list of questions
of interest to you, so I will follow that guide:
- What in the applicant's background indicates this
subject matter is appropriate for the applicant?
Looky Loo is an honor student in Sociology and would
be able to apply much of that learning to your program. When
we discussed her plans, she shared with me ideas of concepts
we had worked on that should be of help to her in
negotiation and conflict management. For example, we study
the underlying causes of conflict, based on Maria Pia Lara's
understanding of "illocutionary discourse" as discourse
focused on hearing the Other in good faith without
necessarily agreeing with the Other. Looky Loo saw how such
a background of theory might later prove useful in resolving
disputes.
- Why applicant desires this degree program?
Looky Loo is curious, industrious, and makes every
effort to help and show kindness to those around her. This
makes her an ideal candidate for one of the helping
professions. At the same time her quickness of mind,
attention to detail, and willingness to follow through on
specific details suggest that she would do very well at
sociology program. She participates readily in both
classroom and informal settings, and has developed solid
communication skills.
- What does applicant plan to do with this degree once
obtained?
Looky Loo is just setting out on a serious career
path, so it is difficult to state with any certainty where
her plans will lead her. But at the moment she works for
Charlie's Hoopla, and will have numerous opportunities to
advance there with both her graduate work and her
sociological skills.
Having answered your questions, I should like to add that
it has been a great pleasure having Looky Loo as a student. She
is courteous, calming, just overall, a nice person. Sometimes my
office grows hectic with dozens of students demanding instant
attention. It is always a relief to have Looky Loo drop in. Even
when she has a request like this, she gives it to me with
adequate time and follows up gently and graciously. I'm sure
she'll be a welcome addition to your program.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Curran, Ph.D., Esq.
Professor of Sociology
Notice how Jennifer's detailed suggestions helped me figure
out what to write. I also like that she made those suggestions in
the guise of excerpts she planned to include in her essay. Good
strategy. Then I can't complain that she told me what to write.
Though, if it's me, I'll be glad to be told what to write, thank
you. Jennifer's request provides an excellent model for your
requests. I usually just get a crappy resume. Come on, kids. That's
no help. That can get you a dog letter.
* * * * *
Discussion Questions
- What is the major disadvantage of not explaining in
writing to me what particular experiences you had in my course
that you would like me to base your letter of recommendation on?
Consider that Suan and I average over a 100 students a
semester. If you don't pull your own memories out of your own
apperceptive mass, you're depending on us to remember all the
neat things that happened with you. And you're one of a hundred
or so students.
- What's wrong with saying "These are things I would like
you to say."?
Consider that many teachers would consider that "pushy"
and would not want to be told what you want them to say.
- How did Jennifer creatively get around telling the
teacher what to write?
Consider that she told jeanne what she was going to write
in her personal statement, and asked for feedback on that.
- Might you get a really wonderful letter of recommendation
without going to all this trouble?
Yes. But then you're relying on luck.
- Isn't there something basically dishonest about this
approach?
No. There's something very cogent about the structural
ability to cope with overcrowding in schools with overworked
teachers.
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