How to Ask a Professor for a Reference Letter
March 31, 2025
So, you’ve found a dream opportunity: an internship, an open job, a graduate program, a scholarship or grant. You know you’re a great fit, and you’ve written a cover letter to prove it. You’ve put together your resume or CV, and answered a slew of biographical and practical questions. There’s only one thing left: the application requires a reference. Who can best speak to your abilities, especially as a college student? Usually, the answer is your professors! So now you need to know how to ask for a reference letter from a professor.
As someone who has been on both sides of this dilemma—as both a student asking, and the professor being asked—I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what works and what doesn’t. I know it can sometimes feel awkward or nerve-wracking to ask this favor of one of your instructors. But to dispel a little of the anxiety, here is my reminder for you: writing references is an expected part of the job as a professor, especially a tenured professor. You will almost certainly not be the first person to ask your professor for a reference letter. But hopefully, with this guidance, you’ll be the easiest and most respectful!
How Should I Ask for a Reference Letter from a Professor?
Below, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide for how to ask for a reference letter from a professor. This includes a general timeline, some useful tips, and some important dos and don’ts. My guide will be broken down into these key ingredients:
- Step 0: WHY
- Step 1: SPECIFICS
- Step 2: TIMELINE
- Step 3: BEST FIT
- Step 4: MATERIALS
- Step 5: PLAN B
- Step 6: FOLLOW UP
- Step 7: GRATITUDE
See an in-depth explanation of each step below! While you’re at it, feel free to check out the rest of our College Success resources, such as when to apply for summer internships, what kind of remote jobs are best for college students, or how to make the most of your university’s Career Services office.
Now, on to the advice…
How to Ask for a Reference Letter from a Professor: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 0: WHY
Before we figure out how to ask a professor for a reference, we need to understand why references are important in the first place.
Application committees (from hiring teams to grant reviewers) require references because they can help form a clearer picture of you as a candidate. References can confirm resume items, vouch for your skills and work ethic, and provide additional information not included in other parts of your application. For college students or recent graduates in particular, professors can be great references, especially when you don’t have a lot of professional experience.
If you’re applying for a job, internship, or other opportunity that is related to your major, a reference from a professor or advisor in that field is a great choice. Professors can speak to your research skills, content mastery, written communication, presentation skills, problem-solving, and/or teamwork.
As you consider the following steps of how to ask for a reference letter from a professor, keep this “why” in mind. Reference letters are most useful and beneficial when your reference can be specific and positive about your achievements and skills, and directly connect their understanding of you to the opportunity you’re applying for.
Step 1: SPECIFICS
Make sure you know exactly what the application is asking for.
While some applications will indeed require a reference letter, other applications might simply ask for the contact information for your references. A member of the application committee or a recruiter might then call your references on the phone, or they might be emailed a questionnaire to fill out. The vast majority of the time, these specifics will be outlined in the application, so be sure to check for the differences. The more specific information you can provide to your professor, the better equipped they will be to decide whether they can commit to it. So figure out up front exactly what you will be asking of them!
Do: Double-check the specific reference requirements for your application.
Don’t: Make assumptions about what a reference will entail, or reach out to professors without being able to provide them with clear expectations.
Step 2: TIMELINE
Ensure that you give your professor enough time.
This is a very important step! I know all too well the anxiety of squeaking in an application right before the deadline. But unfortunately, I’ve also had the experience of being asked for a reference letter by a student when the deadline was the very next day! Be courteous to your professors! They have lives and responsibilities outside of work, just like you do. If your application only requires contact information, I would still recommend giving your professors a few days, or ideally a week, to make a decision before you submit your application. If however, you need them to write you a letter, and the letter has to be submitted with the application, or simultaneously, then I would highly recommend giving them at least two weeks before the deadline. This will give them time to make a decision and to draft a letter for you.
Note: Padding the timeline here will also make sure you aren’t scrambling, if for some reason your professor says no. You can find more on having a backup plan in Step 5.
Do: Give your professor (and yourself) ample time to finalize reference letters.
Don’t: Wait until the last minute to ask for references, or to submit your application! There’s always a possibility for technical difficulties, and it’s good to give yourself time, regardless.
Step 3: BEST FIT
Choose a professor who has knowledge of your transferable skills.
You may know right away which of your professors will be the best reference for your application. But what if you’re unsure? Do you need to figure out how to ask for a reference letter from a professor you haven’t worked with in a while? If you’re trying to narrow down who to ask, here are some useful criteria:
How recent?
It’s usually a better bet to ask for a reference from a professor you’ve worked with recently (in the last semester or two), than from one you took a class with years ago. This is simply because they are more likely to remember the specifics of your work in the class. And specifics are what you’re looking for in a reference!
How direct?
If you had a choice between a professor you had in a 200-person lecture class, or one who taught a 12-person discussion-based seminar, which would you choose? The more directly a professor has taught you, the better equipped they will be to provide a strong reference. Do you have a professor who you’ve done research or independent study with, or even met with during office hours? The more one-on-one experience a professor has with you as a student, the better.
How relevant?
If you’re applying for a job or other opportunity in a particular field, it is usually best to choose a professor who taught you in that discipline or a related subject. For example, if you’re applying to an internship with a law firm, one of your law professors can probably write a more relevant reference letter than a professor in math or biology. If however, you’re applying for a legal internship focused on environmental law, that would be a situation where an environmental science professor could be a strong reference as well.
These three criteria work best in combination with each other. Everyone has a unique academic experience. So in your case, one factor might outweigh another. If you worked very closely with a professor on a relevant research project, but it was over a year ago, they still might be the best person to write your reference letter. Or, if you haven’t taken a lot of classes in a relevant field, but you have a good relationship with a professor who would be able to speak to your transferable skills, that might be the right choice.
Do: Choose a professor who knows you as recently, as directly, and as relevantly as possible.
Don’t: Choose your most recent professor if you didn’t have a lot of one-on-one experience together. Don’t choose the professor you’re closest to if they can’t speak to any relevant skills for this application. And don’t choose the most relevant professor if you worked with them so long ago they won’t remember you.
Step 4: MATERIALS
Gather the relevant materials that will help your professor write their reference.
Want to make your professor’s job as easy as possible? They are much more likely to agree to serve as your reference if you give them all the relevant materials they need to do so. Firstly, when you reach out to your professor, especially one you haven’t worked with in a while, it’s helpful to remind them of the class(es) you took with them, and why you think they would be a good reference for this particular opportunity. If you can connect the dots for them ahead of time, they will be able to connect the dots more effectively in their reference letter.
It can also be helpful for your professor to see the other materials in your application. Your cover letter will give them an idea of how you connect to the position, and your resume will give them more context about your other accomplishments or experiences in the time since you worked together. It might also be helpful, in some cases, to send them a copy of a project or assignment you worked on in their class, to remind them of the specific skills they may be able to speak to.
Note: If you’re asking your professor for a reference letter over email, you don’t necessarily have to include all of these materials in your initial email. Instead, you can use that first contact to remind them who you are, when and how you’ve worked together, what kind of position you’re applying for, and why you think they would be a good reference.
Do: Tell your reference that you can send them helpful materials, and have those materials on hand and ready to send them if they agree.
Don’t: Ask a professor for a reference letter without providing any context for what you’re applying for.
Step 5: PLAN B
Expect that your professor might decline, and have a backup plan in place.
This is another critical step in how to ask for a reference letter from a professor. Because the truth is: they might say no! This is especially true if it’s close to midterms or the end of the semester when your professor is likely drowning in grading. But it’s always a possibility that they are dealing with things you don’t know about, from health issues to planned vacations or sabbaticals to family crises.
It’s also worth mentioning that a professor might decline if they don’t think they can write you a strong reference. This might be because of the “best fit” criteria we discussed above. If they taught you in a large lecture course and can’t put a face to your name, they probably can’t write a very convincing reference. Or, if you performed poorly in a certain class without clear improvement, a professor might be less willing to advocate on your behalf. Your professors want to write you a good reference, so if they don’t think they can, they won’t.
If your professor declines your request, it’s good to have another professor lined up who you could ask. Return to Step 3 and those “best fit” criteria, and see who your next choice would be. If you have a backup plan in place, you’ll be more prepared to move forward and find a good reference.
Do: Remember that your professor might say no (for any number of reasons), and identify another professor or two who you could ask if needed.
Don’t: Expect this to be a one-and-done situation. It’s better to approach the reference letter request as a respectful person-to-person exchange—and a favor!—rather than something you’re entitled to.
Step 6: FOLLOW UP
If needed, send a gentle and respectful reminder closer to the deadline.
So, your professor agreed to write you a reference letter, and you gave them plenty of time to complete it. That’s great! But what happens when the deadline is approaching, and you’re unsure if they’ve completed their letter yet? If this is the case, I recommend sending a brief and polite nudge, reminding them of the deadline, and offering to send them any additional information if they need it. The best bet would be sending a reminder about a week before the deadline (although I recommend keeping your emails to business hours whenever possible). Even if you’re feeling anxious about getting your application in by the deadline, try to avoid sending multiple nudges, or letting your panic dictate your emails.
Note: It is a possibility, however uncommon, that a professor might not submit a letter by the deadline. If it’s getting close to the deadline, and you’re concerned that might be a possibility, you might consider reaching out to the contact person or administrative assistant for the application and explaining the situation. It’s often the case that they will allow you to submit your application as is, and accept reference letters after the deadline.
Do: Send your professor a brief, polite reminder email about a week before the deadline, if needed.
Don’t: Send your professor a barrage of emails, or frame your emails with panic or anger.
Step 7: GRATITUDE
Remember to express your thanks, and to keep your professor posted if your application is successful!
A reference letter is a vote of confidence in your abilities. When your professor agrees to provide a reference for you, they are saying that they believe in you, your skills, and your potential. That’s amazing! Not only that, but they are providing you a reference not because they have to, but because they have chosen to do so. Reference letters are credible because they are given freely and willingly, not forced, coerced, or bought.
This is certainly something to be grateful for, even in the stressful uncertainty of applications. So be sure to express that gratitude to your professors at every step of the process, from your initial ask, to your application results! Your professors love to hear about their students’ successes, so be sure to keep them posted if you get good news!
Do: Thank your professors for considering your request, for providing a reference, and if your application is successful.
Don’t: Forget to recognize their efforts, and don’t forget to tell them your good news!
How to Ask for a Reference Letter from a Professor – Final Thoughts
Your professors can be some of the best advocates for your success, not just in the classroom, but afterwards as well. So foster those relationships however you can: participate in class, visit them in office hours, see who you click best with, and ask if they offer opportunities for research or independent study. Not only can those connections serve you in your career, but you might gain a lifelong mentor, a new passion for certain subjects, or be introduced to ideas that can change the trajectory of your life.
That’s what college is for! You never know!
How to Ask for a Reference Letter from a Professor – Additional Resources
