Five Ways to get STRONG Letters of Recommendation

Yes, we really read your letters, and they are an important consideration for offering interviews.  For my program, the letters make up approximately 10% of the points allotted to an applicants in application review.  Brief and non-specific letters hurt your application.  A negative letter is likely to keep you off the "match list" everywhere you apply.  What can you do to maximize you chance of getting a good letter?

1.  Understand that a strong letter is written by a supervisor, professor or mentor you have a ongoing positive relationship with.

Asking people you don't really know to write letters of reference may result in a one liner or a negative letter.  Your best outcome is a mediocre form letter (which may have another applicant's name in it. Yes, that happens!).  These letters don't represent who you are and suggest that you don't have people skills and/or commitment to the field.  Start building strong relationships now!  Here are some tips:

• Sign up for your local professional organization as student member (do this now) and inquire about becoming the student representative.  Volunteer for events.  This will allow you to build relationships with other professionals in your area and allows you to hear about job/internship opportunities sooner.
• Volunteer to help with research for a professor that has ongoing projects.  Treat this opportunity like a paid job.  If you are volunteering consistently, ask if the professor will help you submit an abstract to a local or national conference.  This will help build your relationship and give you strong resume-building material.
• Go to office hours early in the semester prepared with specific questions.  Notice pictures and objects in the professor's office and try to build conversation from that
• At the end of the semester, give your professor a hand-written thank you card.  Some students give thoughtful, inexpensive gifts.
• E.g. one time I took students to a National Archives history of nutrition exhibit and, after the semester was over, a student got me the book accompanying the exhibit with a thank you card.  It was thoughtful, and I still remember the student even 5 years later.  
• Timing is important.  Don't give the thank you before you have your grade; you want the professor to feel that your gesture is sincere.  Gifts are unnecessary and potentially prohibited (the department administrator will know if the professor is allowed to take a small gift).  If you chose to give one, don't spend more than $10 or so. 
• Volunteer or get a job at the local hospital working with the dietitian.  Be punctual, consistent, friendly, and gracious at all times.  Smile and treat this opportunity like a paid job.  
• Meet with your academic adviser once a semester and come to the meeting prepared with the courses you think you need to take next semester.  Be punctual, friendly and gracious at all times.  Don't ask for tons of petitions and other paperwork-heavy favors.  Listen to her advice.  Pick her brain about your best career path and resume-building opportunities.  

2.  Ask the potential referee if they can write a positive or strong letter for you.

You don't just want a letter.  You want a great letter.  If you know the person well, and she is friendly and candid, you may not need to ask this.  If the person is very formal all the time or doesn't disclose a lot of feelings, you really don't know how they feel about you.  I have received letters for applicants that are neutral or negative from supervisors the applicant has worked with for years.   

• I like to receive requests in email.  I don't like to be put on the spot in person.  You don't want someone writing a letter for you if they aren't excited to do it.  Asking through email makes it easier for someone to say no tactfully.  I have told inquiring students that I don't know them well enough, etc. 
• If the person doesn't get back to you, move on.  You want a timely, enthusiastic letter from someone who likes you.

3.  Give your letter writer ample time.

Two weeks is a bare minimum amount of time to write a letter; asking 2 months in advance is more appropriate.

4.  Take initiative and improve the content of your letter.

Professors and work managers are busy people, so you may help them write a strong letter for you.   After your referee has agreed to write you a strong letter, respond back with bullets detailing the specific projects or tasks that you did together and tie it to the opportunity you are pursuing. 

• Sample bullet: “In your Community nutrition class, I received an A on a presentation I gave about motivational interviewing in Spanish-speaking communities. All of the internships I am applying to have a community emphasis and include rotations through sites serving significant numbers of Spanish-speaking patients. I am also fluent in Spanish.” A bullet like this gives a professor substantive content to add to the letter than she will not be able to write without your help.

That said, tread lightly in area of providing content for your letters.  Some people would be receptive to you drafting the whole letter and some people could be offended by providing the bullets.  When in doubt, ask the referee whether or not they would like you to compile the content.  Most people are very grateful for bullets because it makes the process easier, especially if they are trying to write letters for many applicants.

5.  Pick a consistent theme for the type of internships you apply to.

If there is some similarity to all the programs you are applying to, for example all MS/DI or all program with a research emphasis, then referees have more grounds to write impressive letters.  Make it clear what type of program you're applying to somewhere in the bullets (see #4)

• e.g. letter text that is possible when you tell referees what type of programs you are applying to “APPLICANT is excited to start a combined Master of Science/Dietitian Internship in the Fall. Given her experience in data collection and analysis she performed on my research, I am confident she will be successful in graduate school.” 

This kind of content lets the admissions team know that you have a serious interest in graduate school & their program and took steps to prepare yourself for it.