Template to ask for letters of rec? Forum

gentlemanscholar · Post by **gentlemanscholar** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:27 pm

Your recommender is doing you a huge favor by writing a rec. Ask them in person if it is possible, then follow up with a detailed email giving them instructions and a resume/any info that will help them out. No template that I know of.

malleus discentium · Post by **malleus discentium** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:35 pm

gentlemanscholar wrote:Your recommender is doing you a huge favor by writing a rec. Ask them in person if it is possible, then follow up with a detailed email giving them instructions and a resume/any info that will help them out. No template that I know of.

Agreed: ask in person unless basically impossible. Assuming it's a professor, print out anything you did in their class (even better, give them the originals), your transcript and PS if you have it. Meet in person and explain why you want to go to law school, explain the key points of a good letter of rec and give them ample time to write it.

schmelling · Post by **schmelling** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 12:04 am

hiltopp01 · Post by **hiltopp01** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:40 am

You plan on going to law school and can't draft a simple request for a rec letter?

Chrstgtr · Post by **Chrstgtr** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:17 am

schmelling wrote:It is impossible to ask in person As I just graduated and by the time I would be able to get back to school to ask, I will already be done with the LSAT and about a month from applying. I thought leaving them an acceptable amount of time to write the letter would be more important than going to see them in person, but maybe I'm wrong.

Getting your application in "early" does not mean that you have to have it submitted by Oct. 1. Just go see them in person and ask. At minimum at least call to ask.

Skool · Post by **Skool** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:33 pm

Eh... I actually think it's a little easier to do it over email, and leave the door open to meet in person to discuss. That's what I did (we haven't met yet but will in two weeks). That gives my recommender time to think about my strengths, sit down with me to tell me a little about how he sees me and how we both want the committee to see me. I think you want the sit down to be productive strategy session where you actually get feedback from your recommender. Also, if you're doing a meeting invite of any kind, you should definitely mention wanting to hear about them--- their projects, their teaching, etc.

I could send you what I sent my reccommender, but I wont. Get it together and figure out your relationship with the person and what you want to ask.

Basically, I just emailed the guy and told him what I needed from him (I haven't spoken to him in over a year and I graduated a few years ago). I enclosed a copy of his review of my thesis and my current resume (in case he wanted to make a little copy pasta). I also told him a little bit about the current projects I'm working on at work. Which may allow him to bridge how he knew me then to who I am now.

I think the keys are attaching materials that can help them write about you and making clear that you don't just want their recommendation, but you want feedback and a team member--- that is, someone to work with you and make your application better. I think a good reccomender/mentor is invested in the people they're supporting and really wants to help them succeed as much as they can. They like being a part of making you better, so give them the opportunity.

Template to ask for letters of rec? Forum

Template to ask for letters of rec?

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Re: Template to ask for letters of rec?

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