Reference letter request template
Four things to send, in order, with the blanks marked. Copy them, fill in the brackets, and delete this sentence if you paste it by accident.
A reference letter is the only part of your application you do not write, which is exactly why committees believe it. The difference between a letter that moves you up the pile and one that quietly sinks you is almost never the referee — it is how you asked. The guide explains who to ask and why this works. This page is the part you actually use.
The ask
Send this three weeks before the deadline, or in September if a big fall award is on your list. Short on purpose: you are asking one question, and the word "strong" is doing the work. It gives a lukewarm referee a graceful way out, and a lukewarm letter is worse than no letter.
Hi [Ms./Mr./Mx. Name], I'm applying for the [award name], which is for [one sentence on what it rewards]. The deadline is [date]. You taught me [course / coached me in / supervised me at] [context], and you saw me [the specific thing you want the letter to be about]. Would you be comfortable writing me a strong reference? If yes, I'll send you a one-page summary with the details and everything you'd need to submit it. Completely fine if you're too booked — I'd rather know now. Thank you, [Your name], [grade] at [school]
The one-page package
This is the part almost nobody does, and it is the single biggest upgrade available to you. Your referee wants to help and remembers a fraction of what you did. Hand them the evidence and "a responsible student" becomes "reorganised our bottle-drive logistics and doubled the total" — same teacher, same student, different letter. Send it the day they say yes.
REFERENCE PACKAGE — [Your name] THE AWARD [Award name], [amount]. It rewards: [one sentence]. Deadline: [date]. HOW TO SUBMIT [Portal link / email address / "they will email you a form"]. Format: [letter on school letterhead / online form / PDF attachment]. Addressed to: [selection committee / named person / "To whom it may concern"]. THREE THINGS YOU'VE SEEN ME DO 1. [What happened, when, and what changed because of it.] 2. [Something that went badly first, and what you did about it.] 3. [Something ordinary you did consistently for a long time.] WHAT I'M STUDYING AND WHY [Two sentences. Not a mission statement — the actual reason.] IF IT HELPS Average: [number]. Relevant courses: [list]. Roles: [club / job / team, with rough dates]. I'll send one reminder a few days before the deadline. Thank you — genuinely. [Your name] · [your email] · [your phone]
The reminder
Three or four days out. Nobody has ever been annoyed by this and plenty of letters have been saved by it. Keep it light and make it easy to say "not yet".
Hi [Name], Quick reminder that the [award name] reference is due [date] — [three days] from now. The submission link is [link], and I've pasted the package below again in case it's easier than digging for the email. If you need more time or it's not going to work out, just tell me and I'll sort something else. No hard feelings either way. Thanks again, [Your name]
The thank-you
Win or lose, and within a week. You will need this person again for the spring round of local awards, and referees remember the students who closed the loop.
Hi [Name], Thank you for writing the [award name] reference. [I found out this week that I got it / I didn't get this one, but the application was much stronger for having your letter behind it.] [One line on what you're doing next.] I really appreciate you taking the time. [Your name]
Three ways this goes wrong
- You left a bracket in. Read it once out loud. Every year somebody emails a teacher asking about the [award name].
- You asked the wrong person. The teacher who watched you struggle and improve writes a better letter than the principal who knows your name. Check the award's own rules first, too: some require a teacher, some exclude family, and some want two different perspectives.
- You asked too late. Three weeks is the floor. Letters written at 11 p.m. the night before read like it, and in October every teacher in Alberta is being asked at once.
Once the letter is handled, the rest is deadlines. The deadline calendar shows what closes each month, and you can turn on reminders for the awards you have saved so a reference you worked for does not go unused.