Best Letters of Recommendation

[studdardpaul]

What are the best people to give letters of recommendation? Everyone can get professors but are there any people that are a better fit for the letter?

 

[DMD]

Professors. But get a professor that knows you really well. That means they have taught you in one or more classes, knows your graduate school plans, knows your career aspirations, etc. It also helps if they have even given you advice about graduate school or your career at one point or another.

 

[babinu]

Plus if you have relevant work experience, a reco from a supervisor can be valuable as well.

 

[werfty]

From reading over the requirements on the sites for many programs, they seem to request 3 letters of recommendation. How would it seem if I only send 2 letters of recommendation - one from a professor with whom I'll be doing research and another from my internship?

 

[pplstuff]

It would seem as if you didn't know three people who would recommend you. Find a third, but make sure they'll write as though they know you well. When I applied to grad school I was in the same boat (1 internship supervisor and 1 prof. I knew well enough to ask comfortably). I had to go back to a professor who only vaguely remembered me (he probably only remembered my face, not my name). Most profs will write you a solid reco, just give them your resume and some details about your life/plans for the future. Be sure to write thank you cards to them (I would also include a gift card or something for their time). Many profs have pre-made recos too.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

From reading over the requirements on the sites for many programs, they seem to request 3 letters of recommendation. How would it seem if I only send 2 letters of recommendation

Some program will mark your application as incomplete which may result in delay or reject all together.

 

[Chao Liu]

Hi, Andy, Cornell requests two letters. Should I send three? (they do write that " three letters preferably" though).

 

[Andy Nguyen]

2 minimum. 3 better.