How to Get Strong Recommendation Letters

Tips on building relationships with mentors and requesting compelling recommendation letters for scholarships.

Why Recommendation Letters Can Make or Break Your Application

A strong recommendation letter does something your essay cannot — it provides an external, credible validation of your character, abilities, and potential. Scholarship committees weigh these letters heavily because they reveal how others perceive you, not just how you perceive yourself.

The difference between a generic letter ('This student is hardworking and dedicated') and a powerful one ('In fifteen years of teaching, I have rarely seen a student approach research with the combination of rigor and creativity that Sarah demonstrates') is enormous.

Choosing the Right Recommenders

The best recommender is not necessarily the most impressive person you know — it's the person who knows you best and can speak with specificity about your strengths. A detailed letter from your biology professor who supervised your research is worth more than a vague letter from a senator you met once.

Check out these scholarship recommendation letter tips:

• Choose people who have directly observed your work, growth, or leadership. Some examples are professor, teacher, advisor, mentor, guidance counselor, coach, and religious leader.
• Prioritize depth of relationship over title or prestige.
• Aim to gain recommendation letters from one academic recommender and one who can speak to your professional skillset or your involvement in the community.
• Never ask someone who might say no or write a lukewarm letter. If they hesitate when you ask, find someone else.

Make It Easy for Your Recommenders

Recommenders are busy people so it's important to make it easier for them. Ask for a recommendation letter well in advance and be sure to provide them with everything they need: information about the scholarship including its mission, your resume, your essay draft, specific anecdotes you'd like them to reference, and a clear deadline.

Follow up politely one week before the deadline. After the letter is submitted, send a thank-you note. It's important to foster the relationship by showing gratitude for their time and support.