How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter (With an Email Template)

Choose the right recommenders

The best recommender is not the most famous person you know; it is the person who knows your work well enough to describe it in detail. A lecturer who supervised your thesis or taught you in a small class, a manager who saw you handle responsibility, or a project lead who worked with you for months will write a more convincing letter than a department head who has met you twice.

• Match the letter to the opportunity: academic referees for study and research programs, supervisors or managers for jobs and internships, a mix when the program values both.
• Check the rules: some programs specify who may or may not recommend you, such as a current teacher, an employer, or someone who is not a relative.
• Ask people who are likely to say yes enthusiastically. If someone hesitates, thank them and ask someone else. A lukewarm letter can hurt.

When to ask

Ask at least four to six weeks before the deadline, and earlier in busy periods such as exam season or the end of the academic year. People who write many letters need time, and a rushed letter is rarely a good one. Give them the deadline in writing, and remember that some portals require the recommender to submit the letter directly and may send them an automatic request after you enter their email address.

What to send them

Do not just forward the link. Send a short, organized packet so they can write something specific:

• The name of the program, a link to its description, and the deadline.
• How and where the letter must be submitted (an online form, email, or a file), and any word limit.
• Your current CV and your draft motivation letter, if you have one.
• A few reminders of what they know about you: the course or project you worked on together, grades or results, and one or two achievements you would like them to mention if relevant.
• Your reason for applying, in two or three sentences, and what the program is looking for.

An email template you can adapt

Subject: Request for a recommendation letter: [Program name], deadline [date]

Dear Professor/Dr/Mr/Ms [Name],

I hope you are well. I am applying for [program name] at [organization], which supports [one-line description]. Because you supervised my [project/thesis/internship] in [year], I believe you can speak about my work better than anyone, and I would be grateful if you would consider writing a recommendation letter for me.

The deadline is [date], and the letter should be submitted [how]. I have attached my CV, my draft statement, and a short summary of what I worked on with you, together with the program description. If it would help, I am happy to meet or send more information.

Thank you very much for considering this, and please let me know if you are unable to write one so that I can make other arrangements in time.

Kind regards, [Your name]

Follow up politely

• Send a gentle reminder about a week before the deadline, restating the date. Most people appreciate it.
• If you used an online system, check whether the recommender has submitted the letter, and nudge them if not.
• Do not read or ask to approve the letter unless they offer; it is normally confidential.
• After the result, tell your recommenders what happened and thank them, whether or not you were successful. They will remember it if you ask again in the future.

If you do not have an obvious recommender

Early in your studies or career, or after a long gap, it can be difficult to find someone. Think about the lecturer whose course you did well in and attended actively, a volunteer coordinator, a club or community leader, or a former manager at a part-time job. Visit them during office hours, talk about your plans, and ask whether they would feel comfortable writing for you. Building these relationships before you need them is the best long-term strategy.