Asking for—and receiving—a strong letter of recommendation is a crucial part of applying for most competitive national fellowships. The best way to secure a strong letter of support requires two main steps:
- You must cultivate a positive professional relationship with an academic mentor
- You must provide your letter writer with the information they need to support you for each specific opportunity.
The first step is the most difficult, but you can achieve it by excelling in coursework, participating in research, attending departmental invited lectures, and otherwise engaging collaboratively with your potential letter writer over a period of time (the longer the better). The second step, actually requesting a letter of recommendation, seems simple in comparison, but still requires your attention. As each fellowship opportunity is different, each will ask your recommenders to assess you in different ways. Make sure you understand what each letter must contain and be sure to supply your recommender with all of the material they would need to compose a strong letter of support. This usually includes a copy of your most up to date resume or CV, a copy of your application materials, and a brief message highlighting the relevant accomplishments or experiences you would like your letter writer to include. Remember, many of your professors know how you have performed in their own classes, but they may be less familiar with your other academic work or extracurricular achievements unless you fill them in. And finally, if you want a strong letter of recommendation, make sure to request it well in advance of the deadline, ideally a month in advance!