Before you start writing a letter of recommendation for a friend, clarify the purpose of the letter itself. Is it for a job, graduate school, a volunteer position, or something else? Understanding the ...

Shortly after becoming a full professor, I asked a colleague who had held that rank for years to name the greatest challenge she had faced in this ultimate chapter of faculty life. Her instant reply: ...

If there’s a “High School Teachers’ Most Thankless Tasks” list out there, then “writing college recommendation letters” has to be near the top. It has nothing to do with the students, most of whom do ...

Are you planning on going to a graduate school or professional school after you graduate? Are you applying for a special program for which you will need a letter of recommendation? Do you know who you ...

Applications for research funding, graduate schools and some jobs require that you get someone familiar with your work to write a letter of recommendation. College professors are often inundated with ...

Who hasn’t had to ask for a letter of recommendation at some point, whether it was for an internship, a graduate school application, or a new job? If you have, did you think strategically about which ...

Persuading a colleague to write a reference letter in your behalf shouldn't be left to chance. But I wonder if Jodi Glickman Brown's advice on a recent HBR.org post goes too far towards orchestrating ...

You’ve calculated your GPA, made it through the SATs, tackled a few college essays, and have a pretty clear picture of which extracurricular activities you’ll spotlight on your college application.

These letters, which help students land everything from valuable scholarships to coveted internships, need to seem authentic and personalized, but that takes time, which is already in short supply for ...

Most faculty are asked to write several letters of recommendations every semester. Getting them all done takes time and organization. Do what you can to make their work easier. Give each person who ...

Most application processes for graduate schools, undergraduate transfer, and fellowships/scholarships require letters of recommendation. Typically, internship and job ...