Many people decide on going to graduate school after they finish their four-year degree. Graduate school is a great way to continue your education and get your master’s degree or Ph.D. My sister is currently in graduate school and in order to get in, she had to send in letters of recommendation. This is a very crucial part of the application process. The school you are applying for will really look at the recommendation that the person gives you. They will take into account how the person recommends you and what they say about you. It is crucial to get someone’s opinion of your work ethic. In order to receive some good letters, follow these tips:

Content

You may think that the most important thing is to get a well-established and really smart person to write your letter. This is not always the best option. The best person to write your letter would be someone who knows you very well and has seen you work really hard in a class or work setting. This could be a teacher’s aid, rather than the professor. Asking someone who knows you best gives you a greater chance of proving your hard work to a graduate school. Choose someone who has seen you in group settings, or someone who has seen you solve problems in the work place. Graduate schools are going to be looking for students who are able to analyze situations and solve problems. When you are looking for your letter writer, don’t worry about all the credentials and degrees a person may have, look for someone who knows you personally and has seen you when you are working your hardest.

Asking

When you figure out who you are going to ask, set up a meeting with them. Be professional about it and do it in person, or at least over the phone. Make sure you ask them if they have time to do it. If they don’t have time, don’t take it personally. Writing a good letter of recommendation is a lot to ask from a person, and many people are too busy to do anything like that. If they do have time and they say yes, make sure to ask them what you can do to help them. If you meet with them in person, you can talk to them about your goals and your interests which will help them know exactly what kind of letter they should write.

Timing

Make sure you ask the person with plenty of time to spare. Do not throw it on them last minute because they will most likely not do it. Give them plenty of time to accept the assignment. You want to ask them way before you turn in your application because you want to make sure that it is in on time. Also, have a rough draft of your resume and personal statement done before you ask them so your letter writer can draw from those to make your application flow.

Start Now

If you are still getting your undergraduate degree, make sure you are finding connections with professors and other people at school or work. Work hard in group settings and show your professors that you are capable of doing well in any setting. Start preparing now in order to get the best letter you can possibly get. Do all your work and ask your teachers for help. They will get to know you if you are in their office during office hours getting help or if you participate a lot in class. Be a good student and you will get a good recommendation.

Meagan Hollman composes for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers gives people who want graduate, and undergraduate, credentials the way to discover which online masters degree programs fit their needs best, and help them reach their potential.

When considering going back to school, many would-be students often consider online degrees. It’s easy to see why, as many online degrees give students the opportunity to do their work whenever and wherever, allowing them to squeeze classes and homework in between working full-time and other daily duties. The one issue many potential students often worry about when choosing an online degree is whether or not it will be looked down upon by employers. Despite its inaccuracy, the assumption persists that online degrees are lesser than degrees that were received on campus. This is simply not true, and an online degree is just as valuable and respected by employers as a degree obtained from sitting in a classroom. However, there are several factors to consider when choosing to enroll in an online degree program.

Is It Accredited?

It’s important to know whether or not the online degree program is accredited. If the program is not accredited, issues could arise down the road, as there are many employers and certification programs that will not accept a degree as valid if it was not received from an accredited institution. Many accredited institutions with physical campuses have online degree programs available, even world-renowned universities such as Harvard. For students who are worried about the respectability of an online degree, choosing to receive an online degree through a school that is well regarded, accredited, and has a brick and mortar campus can be one way of putting those fears to rest. It can also give students access to some of the perks of a physical campus, like advisors and career counselors. However, an online degree program doesn’t need to have a brick and mortar campus to be an accredited and respectable institution, and students who don’t need a physical campus can be well served by colleges that are strictly online only.

What Style of Learning Does the Program Use?

When choosing an online degree program, it can be helpful to understand ahead of time what style of learning they use. Some online degree programs are strictly online, and all courses are taken on the computer wherever the student wants. Other online degree programs have a blended style of learning. Blended learning means that much of the degree is obtained online, but it is blended with face-to-face learning in a physical setting.

For example, some online degree programs may allow students to do all of their course work from the comfort of their own home, but may have one night a week, or perhaps one weekend a month, where students get together in a traditional learning environment. This can be a positive thing for those who would like to get to know their professors better, or would like to do some networking with classmates. For those who simply don’t have the time to go to a classroom, however, blended learning can be a negative, and those students should stick to traditional online degrees.

Terry Southerland is a career counselor and content contributor for thebestdegrees.org, a site featuring lists of accredited online degrees and specialty field endeavors such as early childhood education degree programs

.