{"id":16774,"date":"2025-06-04T11:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T15:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/?page_id=16774"},"modified":"2025-06-30T14:19:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T18:19:17","slug":"asking-for-a-letter-of-recommendation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/asking-for-a-letter-of-recommendation\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters of Recommendation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p><strong>Letters of Recommendation<\/strong> are one of the four key parts of your health professions application and they hold significant value in understanding who you are as a candidate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These letters help schools understand who you are beyond your GPA and test scores, so it\u2019s important to build strong relationships with people who can speak to your strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout your time at URI, think about who might be able to write you a strong letter: professors, supervisors, mentors, or professionals you\u2019ve worked with in clinical, research, or volunteer settings. Aim for a mix of voices that can highlight your academic ability, character, and readiness for a career in healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind what schools are looking for: strong academics, personal and professional growth, and key qualities like teamwork, ethics, and communication. The <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/pre-health-competencies\/\">AAMC Core Competencies<\/a> are a great reference\u2014even if you&#8217;re not applying to medical school, they apply across most health professions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div class=\"cl-wrapper cl-card-wrapper\"><a class=\"cl-card  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/letters-of-recommendation\/\" title=\"\"><div class=\"cl-card-container media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1746\/Lab-Group-Small-scaled.jpg\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container text\"><div class=\"cl-card-text\"><h2>Submit a Letter of Recommendation<\/h2><p>If you are a letter writer, click here to find out more about the format of the letter required for health professional programs and submit.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container button\">submit a letter of recommendation<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When requesting a letter of recommendation for your health professional program application, it\u2019s important to be thoughtful, professional, and organized in your request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choosing the Right Letter Writers<br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most important parts of your application is your letters of recommendation. These letters help schools understand your personal qualities, work ethic, and readiness for a career in the health professions. To ensure your letters are strong and supportive, be intentional about who you ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Choose someone who:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Knows you well<\/strong> and can speak in detail about your strengths, character, and growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Has <strong>worked closely with you<\/strong> in a professional, academic, or clinical setting. This could be a professor, research mentor, supervisor, or health professional. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can provide <strong>specific examples<\/strong> of your contributions, commitment, and potential.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is familiar with the expectations of the health professions and understands what admissions committees are looking for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will write you a <strong>positive and enthusiastic<\/strong> letter, not just a neutral summary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Avoid choosing someone just because they have a prestigious title or degree<\/strong> unless they truly know you and your work. Also, try not to ask someone who has had you in class but can&#8217;t speak to anything about you other than the grade you received.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-quote  \"><blockquote>A strong letter from someone who knows you well will always be more valuable than a generic one from someone with impressive credentials.<\/blockquote><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Before asking, consider:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have you had meaningful interactions with this person?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you demonstrated skills or growth that they could speak to?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Would they be able to describe your character, professionalism, and suitability for the profession?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can they identify and speak to 1-3 <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/pre-health-competencies\/\">core competencies<\/a> that you&#8217;ve demonstrated?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You should also provide your letter writer with:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your resume or CV<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A short summary of your goals and why you&#8217;re applying<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Relevant experiences they might not be aware of<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any deadlines or submission instructions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you approach someone, ask if they feel they can write you a <em>strong<\/em> letter of recommendation. This gives them the opportunity to decline if they\u2019re unsure, which is better than receiving a weak or generic letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Generally, we recommend students aim for:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1 \u2013 2 letters from Science Faculty (typically Biology, Chemistry or Physics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 letter from Non-Science Faculty<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 letter from a Clinician\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Note<\/em>: If you are requesting a letter from an MD or DO physician, specify directly to them whether or not you want the letter addressed to MD\/DO programs respectively; we will not include a DO letter in an MD application (and vice versa)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pre-dental applicants: Programs often like to see a letter from a general dentist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 letter from a Research PI (if applicable)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 \u2013 2 letters from character references (i.e., supervisors in a volunteer or work setting)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here\u2019s are suggested messages you can tailor when reaching out to a potential letter writer:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sample Email Template for Medical, Dental, Optometry + Podiatry PATH Process:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Subject: Request for Letter of Recommendation for [Program Name]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear [Dr.\/Professor\/Advisor\/Name],<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this message finds you well. I am in the process of applying to [e.g., medical, dental, PA] school, and I am writing to respectfully ask if you would be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation on my behalf. Pre-Health Career Pathways here at URI collects these letters and submits them to my application this Spring\/Summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I truly valued my experience [in your class \/ working with you \/ volunteering under your supervision], and I believe you could speak to [mention relevant skills or qualities \u2013 e.g., my academic abilities, professionalism, work ethic, or dedication to patient care].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To support your letter, I\u2019ve included the following materials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A copy of my current resume<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A list of my relevant experiences and accomplishments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A draft of my personal statement [if available]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Details about the programs I\u2019m applying to<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you agree to write a letter, you can submit it directly on the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/letters-of-recommendation\/\">Pre-Health website<\/a> and address it to: &#8220;Members of the Admissions Committee&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I understand how busy your schedule is and would be deeply grateful for your support in this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for considering my request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Warm regards,<br>[Your Full Name]<br>[Your Contact Information]<br>[Letter of Recommendation Submission Deadline: February 1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Letter writers should submit your letter on here the Pre-Health website. The link is accessible through the button below, or at the top right hand side of this page:<\/p>\n\n\n<a class=\"cl-button  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/letters-of-recommendation\/\" title=\"\">submit a letter of recommendation<\/a>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sample Email Template for PA and\/or JWU PATH Process:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Subject: Request for Letter of Recommendation for CASPA PA Application<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear [Dr.\/Professor\/Advisor\/PA\/Name],<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this message finds you well. I am in the process of applying to PA school, and I am writing to respectfully ask if you would be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation on my behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I truly valued my experience [in your class \/ working with you \/ volunteering under your supervision], and I believe you could speak to [mention relevant skills or qualities \u2013 e.g., my academic abilities, professionalism, work ethic, or dedication to patient care].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To support your letter, I\u2019ve included the following materials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A copy of my current resume<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A list of my relevant experiences and accomplishments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A draft of my personal statement [if available]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Details about the PA programs I\u2019m applying to<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you agree to write a letter, you can submit it directly through the CASPA portal, which will send you an electronic request directly to your email. I understand how busy your schedule is and would be deeply grateful for your support in this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for considering my request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Warm regards,<br>[Your Full Name]<br>[Your Contact Information]<br>[Letter of Recommendation Submission Deadline: Insert Date here]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Letters of Recommendation are one of the four key parts of your health professions application and they hold significant value in understanding who you are as a candidate. These letters help schools understand who you are beyond your GPA and test scores, so it\u2019s important to build strong relationships with people who can speak to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5258,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-16774","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16774"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17195,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16774\/revisions\/17195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}