Requesting Letters of Recommendation
So you’ve signed up for your FastWeb account, completed your profile, and perused the list of scholarships. You find a scholarship that fits you perfectly; however, upon closer inspection, one of the requirements is a letter of recommendation. A question looms: from whom and how do you ask for a letter of recommendation?
The first step is to identify the purpose and goal of the scholarship and the sponsoring organization. If the organization is geared toward scientific developments, then you would probably want to ask your science teacher for a letter. For scholarships that focus on leadership, activities, and character, you would probably want to ask a club advisor, leadership teacher, or community service leader for a letter. In some cases, scholarships will ask for multiple letters of recommendation; one academic letter from a teacher and another from a community service leader. Some candidates for writing your letters of recommendation include youth pastors, teachers, counselors, and mentors.
Once you have identified the central focus of the scholarship and have teachers in mind, the next step is to fill out a Personal Data Form. The purpose of a personal data form is multifaceted – it provides an organized template for teachers to more effectively write you a letter of recommendation as well as provides you with a resource for filling out applications. In filling out a personal data form, you save time and energy.
After you’ve filled out a personal data form, you should write a cover letter or include a cover sheet that includes the name of the scholarship, a brief overview, the recommender’s responsibilities, the deadline for the scholarship, and the date by which you would like the letter. If the application requires a form to be filled out by your recommender, print it out and attach it along with any instructions for the recommender. Highlight any key parts on the instructions that your recommender needs to pay attention to.
Submit your cover letter, personal data form, and any additional documents to the teachers you want to write your letters of recommendation. Remember to give them at least three weeks to write your letter. Remember to check with your recommender at least a few days prior to the deadline to ensure that they have not forgotten about it. Once they’ve written your letter, you’ll be able to use the same letter for other scholarships and college applications. After you’ve submitted your application, remember to hand write a note of appreciation to the teachers who wrote your letters. It’s also nice to keep them updated on the progress of your scholarships.
Strong letters of recommendation are essential to compiling a successful scholarship application (and college application). If you can show your recommender that you are well organized by simply submitting a neat cover letter and personal data form, they will be more likely to write a strong letter of recommendation for you. Make sure you give plenty of time to the people writing your letters and send them gentle reminders when scholarship deadlines are approaching. So don’t procrastinate, be organized, and start earning your letters of recommendation.
