Here is a common scene: A supervisor agrees to write your letter of recommendation with one condition—you draft it. Shocker. We, too, were surprised the first time this happened to us. We assumed ...

Reference letters come in many different shapes and forms, so don’t think that one size fits all. I’ve written in the past about how to request reference letters in different situations, be it from ...

It is around this time of year, when letter-writing season is in full swing, that many professors receive numerous requests for recommendations from students and colleagues applying for graduate ...

If you’re gearing up to apply for an internship, a fellowship, grad school admission or a job, chances are you will need a glowing letter of recommendation. You might be wondering: Whom should I ask?

Shortly after becoming a full professor, I asked a colleague who had held that rank for years to name the greatest challenge she had faced in this ultimate chapter of faculty life. Her instant reply: ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. As the CEO of Command Education, I write about emotionally intelligent leadership and education. Summer internships provide ...

Most faculty are asked to write several letters of recommendations every semester. Getting them all done takes time and organization. Do what you can to make their work easier. Give each person who ...

It’s college application season, which is notoriously hectic for both high school seniors and their teachers. While it’s the students who juggle college applications, teachers have a big role to play, ...

A character reference letter can make or break an applicant’s chances. Here’s how to write a great one. A character reference letter can make or break an applicant’s chances Before the days of ...

Over the decades that I’ve worked in universities, I’ve watched academic letters of reference become increasingly inflated. And letter inflation goes beyond the academy; friends who hire in business ...

Knowing how to write a letter of recommendation is a vital skill to have for just about anyone. You never know when you may be called upon to write one, especially if you are an employer or professor.