Most scholarships ask for two or three recommendation letters. A weak or late letter can sink a strong application. Here is how to get letters that help.
Who should you ask?
- Academic referees: lecturers or your thesis supervisor who taught you well and know your work. Best for master’s and PhD applications.
- Professional referees: a manager or supervisor who saw your results. Essential for programmes that require work experience, such as DAAD EPOS and Chevening.
Choose people who know you well over people with big titles. A detailed letter from a lecturer who supervised your project is worth more than a two-line letter from a dean who barely knows you.
When to ask
At least 4–6 weeks before the deadline. Lecturers are busy, and many referees receive several requests during scholarship season. Asking early also gives you time to find a replacement if someone says no.
What to send your referee
- The scholarship name, link and exact deadline
- How the letter must be submitted (online portal, email from their own address, signed PDF on letterhead)
- Your CV and draft motivation letter
- A short “brag sheet”: 3–4 things you did in their class or team that they could mention, with dates and results
- What the scholarship values (leadership, research potential, development impact)
A message you can copy
Dear Dr. [Name],
I hope you are well. I am applying for the [Scholarship name] to study [Programme] at [University], and I would be very grateful if you could write a recommendation letter for me. You supervised my [project / course] in [year], where I [specific achievement].
The deadline for the letter is [date], and it must be submitted [how]. I have attached my CV, my draft motivation letter and a short summary of the work I did with you. I am happy to send any other information.
Thank you very much for considering this.
Kind regards,
[Your name] [Phone]
Rules you must not break
- Never write and sign the letter yourself. If your referee asks you to draft it, keep it truthful and let them edit and send it. Many programmes ask referees to submit letters directly, and fake letters can get you banned from future rounds.
- Follow the submission rules exactly. Some programmes reject letters sent by the applicant instead of the referee.
- Send a polite reminder one week before the deadline, and a thank-you message afterwards. Tell them the result, whatever it is.
See also: How to write a winning motivation letter and How to write a European-style CV.
