Reference letters: writing the prototype oneself

[Karmelleon]

Hello Physicsforums,

I've been reading here for a while and like this forum a lot. For the following issue I couldn't find a suitable thread so I decided to register and ask my first question: I'm about to apply for grad school, for which I need academic references. I talked to the two academics in my department that I believe know me best. They were willing to provide recommendation letters, but suggested I should write the prototype. Now is this a common practice?

-If so, I'm not familiar with form and content standards of good reference letters, so maybe someone knows about this or has some resources to link me to?

-If it's actually not common practice, would you recommend considering other persons to ask for letters?

Your thoughts on this would help me a lot!

Best regards

 

[Norman]

It really depends. I actually had to do the same thing for one of reference letters for grad school also. It was horribly difficult and I don't think I have a copy anywhere. Sorry.

The basic form is to discuss your relationship with the student, discuss their performance and make some statement(s) about how well you think they will do in grad school (or whatever they are applying to.)

I am sure if you google a bit for recommendation letters you might find something out there.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I talked to the two academics in my department that I believe know me best. They were willing to provide recommendation letters, but suggested I should write the prototype. Now is this a common practice?

Best regards

In my experience it is common practice. Basically, it's a way for you to tailor the letter. Plus, the people you are asking are very busy and, while they don't have the time to write one from scratch, are willing to spend the time tweaking what you wrote.

 

[Karmelleon]

I see. It is really weird to describe how a person came to know me from their point of view. But it seems I just should get used to it. Thanks for your opinions so far!

 

[rezeew]

,

[Name]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for reaching out to us with your question. It is not common practice for the individual to write their own reference letters. Reference letters are meant to provide an unbiased and objective assessment of an individual's skills, abilities, and potential for success in their chosen field. Writing your own reference letter may come across as self-promoting and could potentially harm your application.

I would recommend considering asking other individuals who are familiar with your work and can provide a strong and unbiased recommendation. This could include professors, supervisors, or mentors who have worked closely with you and can speak to your abilities and achievements.

If you do decide to write a draft of your reference letter, it is important to keep in mind the form and content standards that are typically expected in a strong reference letter. These include highlighting specific examples of your skills and accomplishments, providing context for your strengths, and avoiding overly generalized or vague statements. You can also ask the individual who has agreed to write the letter to review and provide feedback on your draft before they submit the final version.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with your graduate school applications.

Best,