How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation for Vet School

Posted onAuthorsostermannblog@gmail.com24 Comments

So you want to go to vet school and become a veterinarian? One, well, really at least three of the things you need as a part of your application to veterinary school are letters of recommendation. These are really important and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

I’ve spoken to the members of the admissions committee and Deans about these seemingly inconsequential letters, and they have all stressed how much they mean. The people that write these letters are usually vets, professors, colleagues, and employers. They have worked with you and know who you are, what you’re about, and what your capabilities are!

Sometimes, it is better to start off a new experience by letting your supervisor know that you may be asking them for a letter of recommendation in the future or to serve as a reference. This should come as no surprise to them, but it is always good to be honest and ensure that you are both on the same page. Besides, telling them up front lets them know you’re serious about the experience and you are determined to do a good job. They’ll be pleased to hear that!

When it comes time to ask for a letter of recommendation, there is no easy way to go about asking. Sometimes, just like asking someone out on a date, you just need to bite the bullet and go for it. Sure timing is always good to think about, but there will probably never be an ideal time to ask. Just make sure not to ask if it has been a particularly stressful day for the person or if they are in a bad mood. And yes, I am aware that some people are seemingly always in a bad mood, so in that case, you may want to ask yourself, will this person really write me that great of a letter? If the answer is yes, then just ask! I know I’ve asked individuals who are normally stressed out with the world for letters of recommendation and it made them feel so happy and honored to be given that opportunity. I only asked because I knew they really liked me and knew I did good work and that their feelings of stress and frustration were not at all directed at me.

When you go to ask, my favorite phrase is, “Would you be able to provide me with a strong letter of recommendation.” Clearly the letter of recommendation could be strongly unfavorable but I would hope that if you’re asking this person, that you know they like you and would want to help you pursue your dreams.

Of course, once the individual has agreed to write a letter for you, be sure to provide them with information that may help them — a resume or CV, your personal statement, transcript, etc. Many of them will not know much about you other than your work with them, and even if they don’t include the other information in your letter, it gives them increased confidence in their recommendation.

Be sure to set a deadline (at least 1 month before the actual due date). This tells them that you are on top of things and do not plan to leave things until the last minute. Of course, the early deadline is really in case the person writing the LOR gets busy, forgets, procrastinates, etc. (We’ve all been there!)

Lastly, be sure to follow up with the people writing your letters periodically to see how it is coming along, if they need any additional information, etc. Remind them of the deadline nicely and politely unless you are getting into the red zone. In that case, it may be time to pay them a visit and express your concern. Hopefully it will not come to that.

Feel free to post any questions you may have.

Good luck!

24 thoughts on “How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation for Vet School”

  1. ok, what if they say no they cannot provide you with the type of letter you need – how do you handle this

  2. ok, what if they say no they cannot provide you with the type of letter you need – how do you handle this

  3. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about that particular person. You must simply move on and ask another person. Realize that if a person says they cannot provide you with such a letter, it’s a GOOD thing that they are being that honest with you rather than writing you a bad letter!

  4. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about that particular person. You must simply move on and ask another person. Realize that if a person says they cannot provide you with such a letter, it’s a GOOD thing that they are being that honest with you rather than writing you a bad letter!

    1. You can say, “I wanted to touch base to see how the letter of recommendation is coming along [if the deadline is coming up, you can add “given the approaching deadline of XXX.”] Please be sure to let me know if you need any additional information from me (resume, CV, copy of personal statement, copy of transcript, etc) to help you with it.” Always be courteous and respectful, understanding that they likely have many other things on their plate, and be sure to thank them!

    1. You can say, “I wanted to touch base to see how the letter of recommendation is coming along [if the deadline is coming up, you can add “given the approaching deadline of XXX.”] Please be sure to let me know if you need any additional information from me (resume, CV, copy of personal statement, copy of transcript, etc) to help you with it.” Always be courteous and respectful, understanding that they likely have many other things on their plate, and be sure to thank them!

  7. Hi there,

    I am not having trouble asking for the letters, but I am having trouble coming up with who to ask for the third letter (my first two are golden.) I have research experience with my academic advisor but that was 10 years ago. I have a boss who knows me quite well from 5 years of working together, but that was at a bar. I volunteered at an animal refuge in Bolivia and think I could ask the woman who ran the refuge, but I was only there for two weeks. Unfortunately I don’t have a solid recent contact…. any advice would be fabulous. Thanks.

    1. This all depends on who you have already asked, but I would advise against the boss from the bar. Either of the other two could work, you just need to gauge which one would be able to provide the most positive letter.

  8. Hi there,

    I am not having trouble asking for the letters, but I am having trouble coming up with who to ask for the third letter (my first two are golden.) I have research experience with my academic advisor but that was 10 years ago. I have a boss who knows me quite well from 5 years of working together, but that was at a bar. I volunteered at an animal refuge in Bolivia and think I could ask the woman who ran the refuge, but I was only there for two weeks. Unfortunately I don’t have a solid recent contact…. any advice would be fabulous. Thanks.

    1. This all depends on who you have already asked, but I would advise against the boss from the bar. Either of the other two could work, you just need to gauge which one would be able to provide the most positive letter.

    1. As early as possible so as to give the person a reasonable amount of time to provide the letter. Don’t expect a reference from someone if you only give then a day or even a week’s notice. At least a month would be ideal. Be sure to check in with them as the time goes on to make sure they don’t forget.

    1. As early as possible so as to give the person a reasonable amount of time to provide the letter. Don’t expect a reference from someone if you only give then a day or even a week’s notice. At least a month would be ideal. Be sure to check in with them as the time goes on to make sure they don’t forget.

  11. Hello there! I am struggling with my third letter of evaluation. My first two are DVMs, one was practicing when I worked with her and now she is lecturing 4th years at the school I am applying to, and the other is practicing also. I have kept in touch with one of my professors, but he can’t speak for much outside of my academics and hard working nature. I never spoke much to him about what I want to do.

    So my question is, should I ask him anyway and provide him with my personal statement and my resume? Or should I ask a person I have worked with at a small animal hospital, who is also a first year in vet school? I feel that the first year in vet school may be able to write a strong, well rounded eval, but my concern is that because she isn’t a DVM or a professor, then her eval might not have much weight. Whereas an eval from the professor might have a much narrower scope, but might have more weight in the eyes of those who are looking over my application.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

    1. Hi Jess –

      Thanks for your comment and question. I think you have a good assessment of your situation overall. I would recommend not using a first year veterinary student for a letter of recommendation. I don’t believe this will be received well by the admissions committee. I would recommend asking the professor you had in mind, and when you ask him, offer to sit down with him to talk about your aspirations so that he can have a better idea of what you’re all about outside of the classroom and see the passion you have for this field. Provide a personal statement and resume for him to use to help support his letter and offer to provide any additional information that he needs to help him write the letter.

      Hope that helps! Good luck!

      S

  12. Hello there! I am struggling with my third letter of evaluation. My first two are DVMs, one was practicing when I worked with her and now she is lecturing 4th years at the school I am applying to, and the other is practicing also. I have kept in touch with one of my professors, but he can’t speak for much outside of my academics and hard working nature. I never spoke much to him about what I want to do.

    So my question is, should I ask him anyway and provide him with my personal statement and my resume? Or should I ask a person I have worked with at a small animal hospital, who is also a first year in vet school? I feel that the first year in vet school may be able to write a strong, well rounded eval, but my concern is that because she isn’t a DVM or a professor, then her eval might not have much weight. Whereas an eval from the professor might have a much narrower scope, but might have more weight in the eyes of those who are looking over my application.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

    1. Hi Jess –

      Thanks for your comment and question. I think you have a good assessment of your situation overall. I would recommend not using a first year veterinary student for a letter of recommendation. I don’t believe this will be received well by the admissions committee. I would recommend asking the professor you had in mind, and when you ask him, offer to sit down with him to talk about your aspirations so that he can have a better idea of what you’re all about outside of the classroom and see the passion you have for this field. Provide a personal statement and resume for him to use to help support his letter and offer to provide any additional information that he needs to help him write the letter.

      Hope that helps! Good luck!

      S

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