Can I ask the same person for multiple letters of recommendation?

Who is it most impressive to get letters of recommendation from?

Junior or senior year teachers are usually the best for writing recommendations, since they are more likely to have taught you in a high-level course, taught you over a few years, and/or know you in different capacities.

Is it illegal to read your letter of recommendation?

Without such a written waiver, the student will have access to such letters of recommendation, despite any oral representations made by the student or recipient that the letter of recommendation will be kept confidential.

Is it okay to ask the same person for multiple letters of recommendation?

If you're applying to multiple opportunities, it's totally okay to ask the same person for multiple letters because they can reuse their writing and submit it to any position you apply to.

How many letters of recommendation should I ask for?

Typically, two-four letters are required, meaning schools most commonly require two letters but will accept up to four.

How many rec letters is too much?

Most colleges will ask for up to three letters of recommendation, so keep that in mind and don't overdo it. If a school wants two recommendation letters, only submit two.

Can you use the same letter of recommendation for multiple jobs?

Answer: An applicant may want to use the same reference provider across multiple opportunities as the reference letter provided may be specific to the applicant, rather than specific to the opportunity. Using the same reference allows both the reference and the applicant to save time and effort.

What should you not do in a recommendation letter?

Can a letter of recommendation be too old?

The letter from a few years ago isn't bad. And so, just ask if the professor would re-date the letter. If you're reapplying to medical school, or you unfortunately got a letter several years ago.

Can you read your letters of recommendation after acceptance?

Under FERPA, students have the right to access these records after enrolling in an educational institution. This allows students to review their recommendation letters. However, during the application and admissions process, you'll often encounter a FERPA waiver.

Is it OK to only have one letter of recommendation?

Many colleges and universities still require two letters of recommendation. So don't feel you need to withhold a second letter just because we only require one.

Is it better to have more than one letter of recommendation?

An additional letter of recommendation miiiiight help you, but it has an equal chance to hurt you, or at least annoy the admissions counselor reading your packet. Almost all your college applications will require counselor recs and up to two teacher recs, but some schools do allow extra recommenders.

Can I submit the same letter of recommendation for multiple colleges?

You may need the person sending the letter of recommendation to submit it separately each time. The easiest way to reuse letters of recommendation is usually on an application platform, where the letters are automatically used as often as you apply to colleges.

What is a good time frame to ask for a letter of recommendation?

Start early.

Ideally, give the person three to four weeks, but never less than two weeks to complete the recommendation. Most faculty and staff are very busy and have numerous recommendations to write, so you want to be courteous.

Is 300 words enough for a recommendation letter?

How long should a letter of recommendation be? 300-400 words long and should present your character, accomplishments, and abilities from an objective perspective. An “academic reference letter” is often given directly to you by the referee, and you can keep it for future use.

Who is the best person to write a letter of recommendation?

This could be a teacher, a coach, a mentor, someone from your faith community, a boss, someone who you have volunteered with, etc. Pro Tip: Ask someone who has known you for a long time or who has seen you work hard at school, a job, or an extra-curricular activity.

Is it okay to reuse recommendation letters?

Frequently Asked Questions

If you're reapplying, your recommenders may resubmit the previously written letters with your new application.

Is it rude to ask for a letter of recommendation in person?

Once you have decided whom you want to ask, if possible, you should ask them in person to write you a letter of recommendation. This is probably the hardest part of getting letters of recommendation! It can be challenging to walk up to a teacher and ask them to write nice things about you.

Will I ever be able to see my letters of recommendation?

If you've chosen your recommenders well, they will both want to help you and demonstrate that they're proud of you. For those reasons, they might choose to show you drafts or the final versions of their recommendation letters. They may even ask for feedback. That said, it must be their choice!

Who should not be asked to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf?

While this may seem obvious, it's worth unpacking the reasons why a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, or cousin is not an appropriate person to write you a recommendation letter. You want the people who write about your strengths–as a student, leader, employee, athlete, etc.

Do employers look at letters of recommendation?

References and/or letters of recommendation are usually a necessary part of your job search. In fact, once an employer narrows their list of potential candidates, references are often the determining factor for which candidate gets offered the position.