Covered Content:
💡 General examples are in grey boxes.
⚖️ Information specific to Law applicants are in blue boxes
💊 Information specific to Med School applicants are in red boxes
📖 All personal examples/stories will be in yellow boxes. Feel free to ignore but they definitely spice things up 😂
Most applications will ask for 2-3 references. Usually at least 1 will need to be an academic reference, but the others can be written by a former employer, a coach, a research supervisor... really anybody in a professional position who can speak favorably on your achievements and competency. When asking for references, consider being deliberate in your choices so that each reference can emphasize a different aspect of your profile as a student.
If you haven't had many opportunities to acquire a diverse pool of references, try requesting your existing references to highlight something different in their letter.
The subtle differences between letters can do a lot to help you build your character as a prospective student.
💡 Example: all I'm good at is math... If all of your letters are from professors/teachers in the Math Department writing about how well you did in their class, the admissions officer reading it will read and think "okay this person is good at math" but miss out on knowing about your other skills. Having your old work supervisor write a reference about something different like your work ethic or integrity makes you sound much more well rounded on paper. But if your math referees are your only option, you could ask one to emphasize time management and your extracurricular involvement and ask the other to speak about your enthusiasm for course content. Just try to get them to write about something a little different so you can showcase more of who you are on paper.
⚖️ Law School Applicants: what's the difference between an academic, non-academic, personal, and character reference? Law schools usually will not tell you what type of reference to give them. This means you have even more freedom to diversify your references! If a school does specify that they want a non-academic reference, you are still free to choose any referee, so long as they are not (1) a professor, (2) a teaching assistant, (3) a lab supervisor, (4) in any way, shape, or form, associated with your undergraduate or graduate schooling. Character references can be anyone you know personally, and can even include a former job supervisor. Your character reference should, however, focus not on your work, but who you are and why you are an absolute joy to be around. Personal references usually mean the school wants to hear from someone you've never actually worked with. When in doubt, contact the school's admissions team!
💊 Important Med School Traits For medical school, try to find a personal reference from a volunteer opportunity. It will likely showcase your compassionate and empathetic characteristics.