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Recommendation letters are a critical piece of your application. A strong letter of recommendation (one is required in your Leeds application) can be just as important to your application as GMAT or GRE scores, or your undergraduate GPA. Our admission committee looks to letter(s) of recommendation for information about you such as your academic accomplishments, work ethic, and character to assess whether or not you will be a good fit for the program you are applying to.Ìý

Getting a letter of recommendation doesn't have to be a headache. Follow these simple tips to keep you on track.

1.ÌýWhoÌýto ask to serve as reference

If you are in college and you know that you plan to pursue a graduate school, start building relationships with your peers, professors and research supervisors. These relationships can serve you well for future recommendation letters.Ìý

If it’s been a while since you’ve been in college, consider asking professionals who know your character and have a genuine enthusiasm for your future and your success. Supervisors, office managers, anyone who has worked with you and can vouch for your work ethic and performance.

Whoever you ask, make sure you ask in an appropriate manner. Be sure to ask early, give them time to complete the request.

2.ÌýMaterials to provide your selection of referees

In order to receive a good letter of recommendation, be sure to provide your referees all of the materials they will need to write a strong recommendation letter. Be organized and thorough, and ask your references if they need any additional documentation to write your recommendation letter. Some ideas for what you can provide are listed below: Ìý

• Academic transcript(s)
• Admission essays
• Research experiences
• Honor societies to whichÌýyou belong
• Awards
• Resume/work experience
• List of programs you areÌýapplying to
• Contact information for yourself for questions (email, phone)
• A list of your goals related to your desired degree

3. What not to do when requesting a letter of recommendation

Now that we’ve covered who to select as referees and what to provide them with to write a good letter of recommendation, let’s go over a few things not to do:

• If your reference needs additional materials from you, Ìýdo not provide your documentation piecemeal and don’t wait to send it to them.
• Do not ask for a non-confidential letter; admissions committees will give more weight to it if they know it’s a confidential letter under the belief that writers will often be more candid

4. A few last thoughts

Give your references plenty of time to write their letter of recommendation. Give them at least 3–4 weeks to write the letter, as professors and professionals are busy. If you haven’t heard on the status of the letter of recommendation around 1 1/2 weeks prior to the deadline, send a friendly reminder.Ìý

Finally, send them a thank you note with the status of your application. They are invested in your success and will want to know how you’re moving forward in the process.