How to ask for references for your postgraduate degree

Applying for a postgraduate degree at a top institution might feel like something you want to do in secret, lest you face rejection from your top choices. Unfortunately, the fact that you need to ask for references means that you can’t quite be as secretive as you might like. 

You not only need to believe in yourself enough to apply for the course, but enough to convince four very credible individuals to vouch for you. In other words, your “impostor syndrome” will be at an all-time high. 

This was the most daunting part of the entire process for me when I started applying for master’s courses six months ago, and the one aspect that made me almost give up. 

Reference requirements vary by course and institution but here is everything I wish I knew. 

Where to start

My first and most crucial piece of advice is to know your timeline. 

As soon as you have decided on courses and scholarships, find all the deadlines and write them in your calendar (personally I’ve always used Google Cal). 

This not only gives you enough time to compile your CV, transcript, proposal and find a supervisor (if required), but gives your referees enough time to write your reference amid their own busy schedule. Starting early also allows you enough time to find another referee if one doesn’t work out. Let it be a cautionary tale that one referee I had in mind – someone who had written a reference letter for me in the past – had changed her email address and couldn’t be contacted.

For 1 December and 5 January application deadlines, I sent my initial email to potential referees on 14 September. That’s two-and-a-half months ahead of time.

Who to ask

Second, the question of who to ask.

On this topic there are a few things to consider. First, I would advise checking whether each application requires an “academic reference”, “professional reference” or “character/personal reference”, then see how many you need of each. For my most demanding application, I needed three academic references and one professional/personal reference. Trust me, this was no small quest. 

Ideally you want to focus on finding a referee who maintains the balance between being as established and credible as possible, while also knowing you well enough to vouch for your achievements first hand. 

How to ask

Third, the most uncomfortable part: asking for the reference. This is the lion’s share of the work.

As you reach out to each potential referee (two-and-a-half months ahead of time), you want to be considerate, concise and clear. Mention which courses you are applying to, the respective deadlines and ask if they would be willing to provide a reference. 

I followed this with a description of my planned academic specialisation and the value of their perspective on my work: as a supervisor, as a team leader, as a course instructor. I felt this was important because I wanted to show that I had put consideration into their relevance to my application, the understanding that, even though they might not know me well, they could speak for my achievements where others couldn’t. Be confident in your tone; if you can vouch for yourself, they can vouch for you.

Finally, acknowledge that this is a sizeable request; “I understand this is a huge demand on your time so I would be more than happy to put together a document of my key academic achievements or have a zoom call to talk more about it.”

Proofread the email as many times as you can bear to, then send it, sit back and wait.

The next steps

The final stage of the process: keep track of everything.

Once each referee confirmed, I got back to them with more details, specifically who my other referees were and the parts of my CV I hoped each of them might cover. While this might not make sense for everyone’s applications, I aimed to prevent as much crossover as possible and laid this out in a colour-coded shared Google Doc.

More experienced referees may also ask you for other documents at this stage, such as your official university transcript or the final draft of your research proposal (if applicable).

Keep an eye on the application portal and don’t hesitate to send a reminder email a week before the final deadline if it seems your referees may have forgotten. They’re busy, it happens.

Final thoughts

The hard truth is that at some point during the gruelling postgraduate application process you might choose to give up – many people do. There are essays, CVs, interviews, fees, but don’t let the references be the part that discourages you. 

I didn’t do honours, never wrote a dissertation, never worked as a paid research assistant. I didn’t have a particularly close relationship with any of my professors but last month I was offered a  place for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.

It’s true that you need to find four credible individuals to say they believe in what you’re capable of, but the most important one of those is yourself.