While professors may discuss your academic ability and intellectual capacity, supervisors with whom you have worked may also attest to your compatibility to the subject matter from an applied perspective. The more an internship or employment experience relates to the type of study you wish to pursue, the more ideal your supervisor becomes as you approach them for a letter of recommendation. Don't underestimate the potential of volunteer experience. Students who are unable to find employment or obtain an internship can volunteer even a few hours a week on an on-going basis that may result in an experience that warrants equal support when it comes to a letter of recommendation.

If your academic experience is now coming to a close and you were unable to develop experiences as described above, you may still have more access to people for letters of recommendation than you think. Although there may be schools who express a preference for letters to be submitted by faculty, requesting a letter from a teaching assistant or a tutor may provide an acceptable alternative. Approaching professors from courses in which you did very well, especially if it involved writing a paper, should be considered.

When you meet with the professor who is to write your recommendation, have with you a packet that includes as much of the following information as possible:

Statement of purpose:
This should discuss what kind of graduate study you are interested in, how you came to be interested, the kind of activities you have been involved in that contribute to this interest or prepare you to pursue it further, what your career objective is, and what you look for in a graduate program. Knowing this information will allow your writer to describe their experience with you in the context of your objective.

Resume:
Providing a resume, if your experience has been very broad, may help your writer to know more about you and your experiences outside of academia and allow them to personalize their letter.

Copy of a paper:
Take a copy of one of your best papers completed in this class in its original state. This way your writer, rather than having to read a whole paper, can review the special comments they wrote or that were written by the teaching assistant or tutor.

Transcript:
A copy of your transcript (unofficial listing of courses and marks obtained is also ok) provides additional information about your academic preparation with regard to course selection as well as achievement. Discuss with your writer if you are concerned that your overall academic work does not reflect your ability as better demonstrated by the work in your major or the work you did for this professor. If you have concerns about your overall GPA, so will the admission committee. Your professor may be able to write something positive on your behalf.

Cover letter:
If your relationship with the writer is minimal, you may want to provide a cover letter which will summarize the discussion you intend to have. Be sure to address WHY you have chosen to ask them for a recommendation. This is sure to be a question they will have on their mind as they try to understand why you have come to them with this request. Discuss how your time or other responsibilities have not allowed you to participate in activities outside the classroom (i.e., employment, family responsibilities, etc), how well you may have done in their course, how it may have contributed to your decision to further your studies, how their research interests parallel your own and why they are best able to evaluate your experience and potential. In this way your writer will have something to reflect on two or three weeks later when they are writing the letter of recommendation.