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How to get the best possible recommendation letters to put in your application packet for fellowships and scholarshipsYou have the grades, you have the achievements, you have a future. What you want is the scholarship or fellowship that will help you realize that future. What you need are outstanding letters of recommendation from some of your professors. It sounds easy enough. You've done well in Professor Doe's class, Professor Jones has been your academic advisor for two years and you were Professor Smith's research assistant last semester. These people know you; they know your work. You assume that they will automatically write you a glowing recommendation to put in your application packet. But it's up to you to choose the best people to write the letters and to make sure your recommenders have everything they need to write you the best possible recommendation letters. Here's what you can do:
Speak to the professor early enough so that he or she will have about a month to work on the letter. Since each recommendation letter must be tailored to the individual and to the award, your recommender will need plenty of time to complete it. Everyone at CMU has a lot of work to do, and allowing your professor ample time to complete this task is both a courtesy and a necessity. Neatly and thoroughly fill out any portion of the recommender's form that is necessary. This could be as simple as typing in your name and social security number. You want to make the task of recommending you as easy as possible for your recommender. Although the decision is up to you, selection committees recommend that you waive your right to see the letter when completed. Waiving your right to see the letter is thought to lend more credibility to the recommender's statements. Make sure that you provide the recommender with a pre-addressed, stamped envelope if necessary or with other directions if the letter is to be returned to you. Follow up with the professor in a couple of weeks to see if he or she needs any additional information. A call or an e-mail note from you will also serve as a reminder to the professor if he or she has forgotten to write the letter. Finally, thank your recommender for taking the time to write the letter and let him or her know the outcome of the application. NOTE: Though these tips are especially useful for scholarship and fellowship recommendation letters, many of them are also useful for graduate school and employment recommendation letters. |
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