Asking for a recommendation letter
Many private and local scholarships ask for one or two letters from people who know you. Use this to pick the right writers, give them what they need and follow each sponsor's rules for getting the letter in on time.
What the sponsor wants from a letter
A scholarship committee reads a letter to learn things your own form cannot show, such as how you work, how you treat others and whether you finish what you start. Each sponsor's instructions say who should write, and some name a teacher, a counselor, an employer or a leader in the group that funds the award. Many sponsors exclude relatives, so read that line before asking an aunt or a family friend.
Choose someone who has seen you over time and can describe a specific moment. A teacher from a class you worked hard in, a coach, a supervisor at a job or a volunteer coordinator can often write a fuller letter than a well-known person who barely knows you.
How to ask and what to hand over
Ask in person or by a polite message at least three to four weeks before the deadline. Say which scholarship it is, who funds it and what the sponsor values, so the writer can speak to those points. If the writer hesitates, thank them and ask someone else.
Give the writer a one-page sheet with the deadline, how to submit the letter, the sponsor's description of the award and a short list of your activities, jobs and goals. Add a sentence or two about why this award fits you. If you are applying to several local awards, ask whether one letter can be adapted for each, and list every deadline clearly.
Choose someone who has seen you over time and can describe a specific moment.
Getting the letter to the sponsor
Sponsors collect letters in different ways, including an upload link sent to the writer, an email address, a sealed envelope you mail with your packet or a form the writer completes online. Follow the method exactly, since a committee may set aside a file with a missing or late letter. Some sponsors ask the writer to sign across the seal or to use school letterhead.
Check a few days before the deadline whether the letter arrived, and send a gentle reminder if it has not. Afterward, write the person a thank-you note and tell them what happened with the award. Writers often help again when they know how the first letter turned out.
Steps to take this week
- List two or three people who have seen your work over time
- Read each sponsor's rules on who may write
- Prepare a one-page sheet for each writer
- Ask at least three weeks before the deadline
- Plan a thank-you note for each writer
Who decides
The scholarship sponsor's contact person
A recommendation letter works when the writer knows you, knows the sponsor's goals and has time to write.
