Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

Sample Letter Format for Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

Your Full Name

Present address

Phone number Your e-mail

Date

Name

Title

Address of the person you are sending this to.

Dear (Address the recipient in a formal manner): (You will submit your LORs with your SECONDARIES)

Paragraph I: The first paragraph should explain exactly what you are applying for and why you have chosen them as someone of reference

I am writing this official request for a letter of recommendation to APPLY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL (let them know upfront). I have chosen you as someone of reference because (indicate how, when and where this person knows you enough to write a letter for you). "would feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for medical school". Always do this in person!!! If they hesitate...walk away.

Paragraph 2: The second should contain details of the program, your selected specialty or emphasis area, and how this pertains to you and your future goals

Include your major, when you took the class, what grade you got, detail what you are applying for, and deadlines.

Your letter must be SIGNED, and should be on OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD whenever possible.

Let them know that they will get an email from Interfolio that evening with instructions on how to upload the letter. Give them a FIRM deadline (2-4 weeks seems to work best) for when you need the letter.

Paragraph 3: Third, you should include a list of what information you have provided in order to familiarize them with your background, interests, academics, and career goal

To assist you in preparing a letter for me, I have enclosed the following information:

1. Unofficial Copy of my transcript

2. Resume

3. A guide to writing medical school letters

Paragraph 4 You should give them a deadline of completion, should they decide to assist you with this matter and how the letter should be addressed. Include your number and e-mail address again and thank them.

Since the entire application is completed online, you will also be requested to submit your recommendation online. When I submit my application, my email address will be coded as my user name. You are asked to go to www.NashvilleATHENAAwards.org to submit a letter of recommendation for me. Submit a Letter of Recommendation for A Scholarship Application area just one click down the page. The recommendation is an important component of my application and must be submitted online no later than December 18, 2009. You will need my name and my email address.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (telephone number) or email me at (email address). Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Type Name

LOR FOLDER for Each Recommender

• Letter asking for strong recommendation letter, with AMCAS/Interfolio upload instructions.
• Resume & Cover Letter
• Unofficial Transcript
• Personal Essay
• Handwritten Thank-you letter (for specific skills that will help in medical sch to help them recall your characteristics and attributes)
• Self-addressed manila envelopes
• Starbucks card?
• A personalized cover letter graciously thanking the recommender for their time, and clearly stating your specific deadlines.
• Your curriculum vitae (a resume describing your academic accomplishments, relevant courseware, honors, and degrees).
• A copy of the personal statement that you plan to transmit with your AMCAS application.
• A signed waiver form in which you relinquish your right to read the letter (highly recommended, although there are exceptions)
• A paper, thesis, project, research results, or another item specific to your relationship with the recommender. The goal here is to refresh the recommender's memory about you by producing something this person has used in the past to evaluate you in some way.
• A summary of the themes of your application. Explain what makes you a special or unusual as a candidate. Emphasize those items in your record that are most significant to the application, and also those that you feel the recommender can clarify or elaborate upon most effectively.
• Tips on what makes a strong letter of recommendation (include at your discretion).
• A stamped envelope with the address where the recommender should send the letter.
• A stamped confirmation postcard (addressed to yourself). This is a simple card that says, "Yes, I sent your letter of recommendation in accordance with your request." When you receive this postcard in the mail, you'll know that the recommender sent the letter.
• Plan to call recommenders around the time of their deadline, or just a bit before, reminding them to complete their letters on time.
• Prepare thank-you cards for your recommenders; when you receive their confirmation postcards, put the thank-you cards in the mail. Then confirm that the letter was received.
• You should use Interfolio, I used it last year and it's incredibly easy! You make an account with Interfolio, have all your writers send the LORs to Interfolio, and once you need to send them out to schools, you pick out which ones you want to send out, and Interfolio sends it as a packet to the school.
• mentioned your goal of getting a LOR when setting up the shadowing,