How to ask for a reference letter | University Affairs.

At some point, you will need to ask for a letter of reference from one of your professors.  They expect to be asked; it’s also part of their job.  But, remember that who writes and for what matters.  Don’t ask your prof who only taught you one intro course to write a letter of recommendation for graduate school.  Why aren’t you asking your advisor who supervised you on an upper-level research project?

Also, make sure you provide adequate advance notice (minimum of a week)!

Three points addressed in this article:

• Who to choose and when to approach them

• What to say and what to give them

• Thank you etiquette