How to ask for a reference letter for graduate school applications 

Why do graduate schools ask for reference letters? 

• To provide key details about you that are not found in your transcripts 

• To get information about your research potential from faculty in the field 

• To see what sets you apart from other applicants 

You are already in one of the top undergraduate computer science programs in Canada and North America. That’s an important part of the equation for graduate success! But it takes more than transcripts and institutional reputation to assess potential candidates.

This is where reference letters help. Graduate schools want to learn who you are, because you are more than just your marks. Reference letters by professors provide the key details about you that help graduate schools determine whether you have the specific background, skills, and interests to succeed in their program. Reference letter writers are asked to provide information on various attributes such as research potential, communication skills, and ability to work independently.

What are graduate committees looking for in a reference letter?

Specific information that communicates to the graduate admissions committee: 

• Who you are as a student 

• Who you are as a researcher 

• Who you are as a peer 

 A strong reference letter gives graduate admissions committees important information about you that go beyond your transcript and personal statement. 

For example, who are you as a student? High marks are not necessarily enough. Likewise, a difficult start or low marks in first year don’t tell the whole story. Did you show improvement? Were you a leader in class with your peers? Did you share ideas and add to projects? 

Who are you as a researcher? Remember that graduate school is about research, and not just attending courses. What sort of research and projects did you complete – in courses, working with professors, or through independent projects? What skills and potential have you demonstrated as a researcher?

And finally, who are you as a peer? In graduate school, you will be working partly on your own but also with fellow grad students, professors, and colleagues in internships. Committees like to see evidence of someone who is generous with their ideas, is able to collaborate with others, is focused on independent research, can take and give direction, can accept constructive criticism and improve. And remember — these are all qualities that are important in the workforce too! 

What makes a great and effective reference letter?

• Specific examples instead of general pleasantries 

• Honesty and sincerity 

The most effective letter will give the graduate committee specific examples of coursework, projects, or research that you’ve accomplished as an undergraduate, and in turn explain how this success has set you up for success in graduate school.

A letter that is too general or lacking in any sort of specific information about your experiences won’t be as effective because it won’t really be telling the graduate committee details that they can’t already get from your transcript or statements. This means who you ask for a letter is very important (see below!). 

Equally as important, effective reference letters must be honest. That is why they are confidential and private. Remember that your professors want you to succeed because they’ve agreed to write letters for you. And if a professor does not agree to write a letter because they feel that they don’t know you well enough to write a strong letter, then that is also because they want you to succeed. 

Who should you ask for a reference letter? (Hint: It’s not your favourite professor!) 

• Professors from your first-year courses rarely have enough information about your research potential 

• Professors from your upper-year courses can provide the most accurate description of you 

• Variety can be a great tool 

The best letter writer is a professor whom you have worked closely with on a research project or an open-ended course project. 

While you may have had a first- or second-year instructor who was really inspiring and approachable, they probably aren’t the best person to write a reference letter for you.

The strongest letters come from upper-year professors who know you well, and preferably who have worked with you recently. Upper-year courses typically have larger, less well-defined assignments and projects that can be good examples of your work. Plus, upper-year courses are often smaller, giving your professors the benefit of getting to know you better. 

Variety in your letters is also a great tool if that’s available to you. Perhaps you had a professor in your second year who you took another course with during your third year? Or someone you took a course with, and then worked with as a research assistant or a TA. That’s a great person to ask for a reference because they have the unique perspective of having watched you develop as a scholar.

Remember that the professor needs to be able to say something about you. This means that you should talk to your professors. Ask them questions about their research, about the course, about graduate school. Tell them about projects you are working on and how they relate to the courses you are taking. Office hours are a great opportunity to seek their advice. 

When and how should you ask for a reference letter?

• Ask early 

• Be organized and approach professors with the following checklist

A general rule for asking for reference letters is that you should ask for them earlier than you think. Start planning and thinking about your applications early – about a year before the time that you hope to begin your graduate studies. 

If you can, reach out to your potential letter writers 8-12 weeks before your application deadline. Reach out to them via email and introduce yourself again, explaining that you are kindly asking if they would agree to write reference letters for your graduate school applications. In this first email, you’ll want to include some basic but key info about yourself to avoid any confusion: 

• Your name, student number, and pronouns 

• How you know each other (e.g., I was in your CSC404H1 course during Winter 2021) 

• Specific information that the professor may be able to include. Examples might include: 

  • specific conversations you might have had about coursework

  • conversations that are beyond the scope of the course 

  • extra-curricular information that the professor may remember about you 

• How many graduate institutions you are planning on applying to (to give them a sense of the work commitment to which they would be agreeing)

• Full (unofficial) transcript 

• Resume 

• A picture of you would be helpful 

If they agree, the professor may then have a particular set of instructions they’d like you to follow. Or, they might not have a system in place for letters. They might ask to meet with you one-on-one for a chat before they start writing letters for you. In any case, the more organized you are, the easier you will make life for your professors and for yourself. Understand that you are asking for a significant chunk of the professor’s time; writing a well-crafted, effective letter will be an hour or two of work for them.

What materials should you have ready for your letter writers? For yourself?

• Start preparing materials early! 

• Have your key application documents ready before you ask 

As much as possible! Seriously. By the time you ask your professors for reference letters, you should have the bulk of your application material ready to go, or at least in a healthy draft stage. Want help with your writing? Writing centres, peer groups, application workshops, and even just having a friend read your material are all ways to get a second or third pair of eyes on your materials.

By the time you approach faculty for reference letters, you should have as many of these ready and prepared for them, if not all: 

• Personal statements of purpose; research proposal if applicable 

• Transcripts of all previous institutions (unofficial is ok if that’s all that is currently available) 

• List of every program you are applying to, with the due date for reference letters clearly marked 

• Instructions for every program you are applying to re: reference letters 

  • The deadline date! 

  • Is the submission web-based or direct email? If by email, provide the email 

  • The name of the person or committee receiving the application, if applicable. 

  • Does anyone still ask for hard copies? If so, provide the complete mailing address 

  • YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING 

How should you keep track of your applications? Some tips to get organized! 

• Keep yourself organized with these suggestions and tools: 

• Enter information about each application into a spreadsheet and keep track of the process. You can mark the individual elements of each application as “requested,” “collected,” “sent,” “received.” 

• Have you paid for each application? Remember that an application is not complete until all materials and the payment have been received by the graduate school. 

• Ask faculty (kindly) if there anything you can do to keep them on track. For example, some professors may ask for reminder emails at the start of each week with a list of what is due. Others require more frequent nudging. Still others want no communication at all. See what works best for the people you are working with. 

• Keep separate folders on your computer for every graduate school application with copies of your transcripts, statements, etc. You should be able to open any of these folders and find a complete application (minus your confidential reference letters, of course). This is also a great way to quickly see if anything is missing. 

• Send a thank-you note when all letters have been sent, and when you accept an offer from a graduate school, please let your letter writers know where you will be going. They will want to congratulate you.