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In most instances, three (3) letters will be sufficient.  \nWho can I ask to write these letters?  \n• You will want to ask professors, work supervisors, and other professionals who are able to give an assessment of your qualifications and/or character to write a strong letter in support of your application for graduate school or employment.  \nWhat can I do if I don’t know a professor well enough to ask for a letter?  \n• You will want to take steps to allow potential authors an opportunity to get to know you better and to learn about your career goals. This can be accomplished by:  \n- joining class discussions  \n- meeting with a professor during office hours  \n- assisting a professor with research or a project  \nDoes the letter of recommendation need to be addressed to a specific program or employer?  \n• No, a general letter addressed to “Dear Admissions Committee” or “Dear Employer” will be sufficient.  \nWhat does it mean if I am asked to submit a confidential letter as part of the graduate/professional school or employment application?  \n• This means that you should not see or handle the letter. To protect the confidentiality of the letter, have it sent directly to the program or employer or to your credential file* at Mānoa Career Center.  \n*Information about the credential file service can be found [at](at www.manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter or)[ www.manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter](at www.manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter or)[ or](at www.manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter or) in the Credential File Guide, available at MCC (QLCSS 212) .  \nObtaining Letter of Recommendations  \nIn addition to the information in the FAQs section, here are suggested steps you can take in obtaining your letters of recommendation:  \n• Make a list of persons who you believe can write a strong letter of recommendation for your application (see “Who can I ask?”) .  \n• Contact each person on your list and ask if he/she is  \nwilling to write you a letter of recommendation. If the author agrees, ask what kind of materials (e.g. resume, application materials for graduate school and job vacancy announcements for employment applications) would be helpful for him/her to have.  \n• Arrange a meeting to turn over copies of the materials that will help the author write the letter and be ready to discuss your plans and goals.  \n• Take to the meeting the materials you agreed to provide and a list of the academic institutions or employers you are applying to. Also give the author any information (e.g. deadlines), directions, and forms that will help him/ her write the letter according to specifications.  \n[over]  \nUniversity of Hawai‘i at Ma-noa  \nQueen Lili‘uokalani Center for Student Services 212 2600 Campus Road Honolulu, HI 96822  \n(808) 956-7007 [careers@hawaii.edu](careers@hawaii.edu)[manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter](manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter)[ ](manoa.hawaii.edu/careercenter)An Equal Opportunity Institution  \n• Leave an addressed envelope with appropriate postage stamp for each academic institution or employer that the author is writing a letter for. (If you have a credential file with Mānoa Career Center, arrange to have the letters sent directly to the Center.)  \n• Authors have busy schedules; be sure to give the author adequate time (e.g. more than a month) to write your letter.  \n• If you find that your letter of recommendation has not been received by the graduate program or employer, contact the author to remind him/her of your request and the upcoming deadline.  \n• Thank the author for writing the letter with a thank you note and keep him/her posted on the results of your applications.","cbCaicpzES23msV6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicpzES23msV6","pdf",72536,"English","# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\n## When are letters of recommendation needed?\n## How many letters are needed?\n## Who can I ask to write the letters?\n## What if I don’t know a professor well?\n## Should the letter be addressed to a specific program or employer?\n## What does confidential submission mean?\n# Obtaining Letter of Recommendations\n## Steps to request and support authors","[{\"question\":\"When would I need letters of recommendation?\",\"answer\":\"Letters of recommendation are often needed when applying for graduate/professional school or employment.\"},{\"question\":\"How many letters are usually sufficient?\",\"answer\":\"In most instances, three (3) letters will be sufficient, though the exact number depends on the graduate program or employer.\"},{\"question\":\"What should I do if I am asked to submit a confidential letter?\",\"answer\":\"You should not see or handle the letter; it should be sent directly to the program or employer (or to your credential file at Mānoa Career Center).\"}]","Letters of Recommendation - FAQ and How to Obtain | PDF",1789504329]