Asking for a Recommendation
by ResumeEdge

7. SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE

Always send your letter of recommendation writer a thank-you note after you know the letter has been sent out -- whether or not you have heard from the school. Don't wait to long to do this: a week or two is a good timeline. Of course, if you are eventually admitted to that coveted program or land that sought-after job, you might want to call up your letter writer to share your good news and thank him/her once again. Never hurts to quietly share your success, especially with those who helped you to achieve it. 

Note for Business and Law School Applicants 

The same rules above apply for business and law school applications, but these are often a bit morute aborate than regular college or graduate degree applications. Many business and law school applications spell out exactly what information they will be looking for in the letter of recommendation forms. The instructions will often include specific sub-questions such as:

Please provide us with a concrete instance in which the applicant demonstrated his or her leadership skills.

What are the applicant's main strengths?
What are the applicant's main weaknesses?
What will this applicant contribute to our program?

Letters that contain concrete, vivid anecdotes supporting their claims are stronger than ones that fail to go beyond abstract generalizations. Likewise -- and this is particularly true of that pesky question about your weaknesses -- letters that balance achievement with a candid assessment of perceived weaknesses are far more convincing than letters that contain only superlative comments. Admissions readers, even those at the top schools, are not interested in flawless candidates: because flawless candidates don't exist. They are interested in people who are willing to tackle challenges and learn from their mistakes; thus, the best b-school letters of recommendation balance praise, candidness, concrete evidence, and convey both focus, breadth, enthusiasm, and resilience.