How Do I Get a Letter of Recommendation Five Years After Graduation?
How Do I Get a Letter of Recommendation Five Years After Graduation?A reader asks, “I have been out of school for five years and recommendations are hard to come by. I no longer have contact with my former professors who need to write letters of recommendations for me for graduate school admissions. What can I do?” Answer: This is a challenge, but not an unusual one. Many applicants to graduate school find themselves in your position, wondering who to ask for a letter of recommendation. In fact, a few years of work experience is often quite helpful in strengthening a student’s application, especially if he or she is working in a field similar to the chosen area of graduate study or has a weak academic record. Contact your professors. You may not think that they will remember, but there’s a good chance that they will. Regardless, professors keep records of grades that will help them evaluate whether they can write a helpful letter on your behalf. We’re used to hearing from former studen