Letters of Recommendation
Students hoping to enter graduate or professional schools after graduation from Northwestern will typically need to submit letters of recommendation from three or more faculty members as part of the application process. Those applying directly for jobs also typically identify faculty members who can evaluate their personal qualities and skills.
What can you do to increase the likelihood that you will be able to get strong recommendations? Doing well on exams and course assignments is, of course, important, but it is not enough. A letter whose primary point is that you "earned A grades on all course exams and assignments" can actually do more harm than good; it suggests that this is the best the writer can say about you. You should try to get to know several professors well, by taking small, discussion-oriented seminars with them, by going to their office hours to discuss class topics or to seek advice, and/or by working on research projects with them. Let them see how bright and intellectually curious you are, the range of skills you possess, and what a pleasure you are to work with. Professors who know you well and who enjoy their own interactions with you can do the best job of communicating to potential employers, or to members of graduate school admissions committees, that they would value the chance to work with you and to get to know you too.
