Introduction
Higher education is becoming more popular than ever. Even those that have skipped their higher education to pursue career goals have become aware of the perks of one post-graduate title like a Masters Degree. So, many professionals are choosing online MBA or other Masters Degree programs to give a boost to their careers. In this article, we will discuss one key aspect of applying to college: Academic references.
Regardless of the format, age, or type of your university, you will need to submit at least two academic references to most universities. Many questions need to be answered for learners about these academic qualifications. We will discuss what an academic reference is, why you need one, who you should consider, and the key challenges that you will face while obtaining an academic reference.
What is an academic reference?
An academic reference is a letter, email, or document written by someone of authority. It is addressed to a university or educational institution, recommending someone they have known professionally, personally, or academically. It introduces the learner from the referrers' perspective and discusses why they think the learner will be successful in the university program. The purpose of the letter is to get to know the learner through some authority figure who has personal experience in teaching or mentoring the learner.
Why do we need an academic reference?
As universities will have every detail about you from your application and transcript. However, the admission committee needs to assess your ability to study and complete the program you are applying for. Transcripts can only reveal up to an extent. This admission committee needs to know about the learner personally to judge the learner's abilities, character, and performance. This is why the academic references were created. When a teacher, professor, or manager writes to the committee about the prospective learner as to why they should consider admitting him/her, the committee is able to learn more about the applicant’s character.
The process of asking for an academic reference
Plan ahead.
If you are considering joining or rejoining a college, you must plan everything beforehand. From the financial aspects to the academic references, you must have a clear idea of everything. In particular, note down important deadlines and important dates. This will help you avoid unnecessary last-minute hurdles.
Tell your company and family about your dreams for higher education. Get your finances in order (Internal source: here). Free up learning time and schedule everything on a weekly or monthly calendar.
Choose a college.
Choosing the right college and the right program is critical. Your whole education and future depend on this decision. For freshers out of college, traditional full-time colleges are the best choice. They offer the campus experience and networks and can open up early opportunities for your career.
However, if you are a senior professional, online program would be a better choice for you. SNATIKA's online Masters Degree programs and MBA programs are some of the most popular and beneficial programs in the world. Without quitting your job, you can earn dual international qualifications from the UK at a fraction of the cost. You will also need just a couple of hours' effort to be successful in SNATIKA's immersive syllabus.
Choosing the program also totally depends on individual preference. With SNATIKA, you can apply only for the programs with work experience in related fields. Other institutions have their own set of rules and requirements to apply for the program. For a complete analysis of online vs offline degree programs, visit this SNATIKA Blog.
Check their requirements.
Once you have chosen the appropriate program, check out the institution's records. Check out the accreditation of the institution. Consider the background and the institution you are applying to. Look for the minimum qualification and credits to join the program. If the institution recognises RPL(Recognition of Prior Learning), check out the details on experience. And finally, check out how many academic references they need, what format, and what word limits. This keeps the guesswork away and provides a clear path toward admission. After noting down all the details about experience, qualifications, and fees, move on to the list of prospects for writing a winning academic reference.
Make a list of potential referrers
An academic reference is like any other recommendation letter for jobs and businesses. However, the purpose is what sets this apart. The purpose of an academic reference is to understand the learner's ability, character, and skills. It is used to judge if the prospective learner can successfully complete the program they are applying for. Understanding this is a key moment in choosing and asking for a reference.
Check out the background of the institution and its previous learners. Skim through social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to identify lost contacts that can give you a better reference. In the case of SNATIKA, you have to submit 2 academic references. These can be from your former educators or former/current managers, coaches, mentors, or colleagues.
Here is a list of possible academic reference prospects for senior professionals.
Source: Michal Parzuchowski Unsplash
Professors/Principals: Your former educators are the best choice for academic reference; especially those who have had a closer academic relationship with you. Choose a reference that is relevant to your program and has mastery of the subject. This adds to your relevance and boosts your credibility. Also, since the academic committee and your former educators share the same educational sector, they have compatible insights into each other's minds. Frequently, they know the intentions of each other. As a result, you will gain an additional benefit in communication.
Managers: The second best would be the managers from your current or previous companies. This is especially helpful if you are applying for professional courses like an MBA or professional-specific institutions like SNATIKA. Managers provide deeper insights into the learner's character, ethics, and efforts. These insights are invaluable in choosing a learner for professional program admissions.
Business Owners: The owners of the company can also write genuine academic references in case the company you have worked for or are working for is small and you have regular interaction with them. In the case of SNATIKA, the academic reference of a boss can be easier to obtain as the program structure does not involve disrupting or quitting the job. Besides, there is a possibility that after completing your Masters Degree or MBA program, you might be offered a promotion or pay rise.
However, this is not always the case. If you are planning to quit your job after the completion of your Masters, it is not advisable to ask your current boss for a recommendation..
Colleagues or professionals: (Glassdoor)Your colleagues who have more experience than you might be another option for an academic reference. Team leaders, professionals from other companies, or social media platforms can all be considered in the absence of the aforementioned individuals.
Long-term Clients: (Source)Often, clients who have observed your work can write a genuinely impressive recommendation about you. In the age of freelancing, long-term clients can become a better alternative to freelancers. Due to the high communication level that takes place in freelancing work, long-term clients are also well aware of a professional's strengths and weaknesses. However, keep in mind that you should choose a client that is related to your profession.
Mentors: Mentors and coaches are other sources of academic reference if you have one. Mentors are long-term teachers for any aspect of our lives. Coaches are relatively short-term teachers, like career coaches. Both mentors and coaches can write a good reference letter for you if they are in the relevant industry. Let them highlight some of the transferable skills that they have noticed in you that the university values as an asset.
Persons to avoid for an Academic Reference
Source: History in HD Unsplash
Family members: Family members are not accepted as references in most, if not all, universities. There are many professionals who choose to work with their family businesses. Even in that case, a reference is void if the reference is related to you by any means.
Powerful individuals that don't know you personally: Many universities around the world routinely receive reference letters from royalty, elected officials, and top government officials. Admission committee members will have seen them all with experience. Hence, choosing a famous, or powerful individual as your reference will not get you anywhere if they have never known you personally. The points aside, in most cases, such public figures won't accept your request to write a reference letter because they don't know anything about you. The chances of rejection are the highest with such academic references.
Ask
Asking for a reference is as simple or as complex as you make it. After shortlisting possible referrers, decide how you should approach them. Email would be the better medium for former professionals, educators, or bosses that you are barely in contact with. A visit in free hours would be better if your referee is your current manager or colleague.
Be prepared for rejection. Just like all other requests for references, your request for an academic reference might get lost or rejected for several reasons. In those cases, move on to the next prospect without wasting time.
Help them write.
Source: Steve Johnson
Create an Outline: If your prospective referee is someone whom you’ve not met for a long time then chances are they have forgotten all about you. So, they would need your help to write a better letter. You can create an outline for them and add key projects and achievements that you did together. These reminders serve their purpose as reminders and make the process easier for them.
Focus on your achievements: Give pointers and remind them about relevant skills, keywords, and achievements.
Remind them of the personal time they had with you and your team.
Emphasise your academic qualities rather than plain facts and numbers.
Personal stories have a tremendous impact on the admissions committee, as they have very little time to skim through a pile of reference letters.
Deadline reminder: Add a paragraph about the deadlines or important information regarding the reference they are writing. In some cases, they will be back-checked to determine the genuineness of the letter. If your university backchecks the academic reference through mail, then remind your reference to check their email spam folder regularly. Also, inform them about the programs you are applying for, the institution, and your intention of applying.
Discuss the details of the program: If possible, meet them in person over a coffee or dinner and explain the context and intention of your higher education dream.
Corporate email address: Make a genuine request for your academic reference. It's best not to use general email IDs like Gmail or Yahoo mail. Remind your referee to always send references from a corporate or business account. This adds credibility to the reference. In worst-case scenarios, references sent from personal email IDs might even get filtered with oncoming AI solutions that might filter out general email IDs.
Give them a reasonable word limit: Normally, universities only need a concise letter of recommendation, as it saves time. 250-300 words, or half a page to one full page, would be considered the norm. Keep it short and focus on the keywords that the university is looking for.
Follow up
Keep track of all your emails for reference. Check your inbox regularly. If you do not get a response, follow up by phone or another email Even if you get a positive response, follow up with additional emails to stay in the know. In sales, normally, 60% of customers say no before saying yes, whereas 48% of salespeople never even make a single follow up attempt (Source: Hubspot). This can be used effectively in this situation though 4 attempts are somewhat considered spamming. Even a single follow up email can take your chances higher of earning an amazing academic reference. Hence, follow-up messages can help you earn a reputable and genuinely written reference letter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, academic references are a way for universities to understand and choose their learners. It helps the admission committee closely view the learner through others' eyes and judge the learner's ability to successfully complete the program. Hence, it will always be a part of the admission process.
Choosing an academic reference depends on the institution you are applying for. It can either be from your previous academic institution or your workplace authorities like managers and bosses. Academic references can land you a seat anywhere, but only if you choose these authority figures wisely. As the process is about gathering the personal viewpoint of the learner from a credible source, it should not be from kings, queens, MPs, government officials, public figures, etc. It must always come from someone superior to you who know you and your strengths personally.
If choosing is one part of the game, so is approaching them and getting a referral from them. Hence, if you have followed the above steps and avoided mistakes, you can easily get a personal letter of recommendation that can land you at your dream university. In the case of SNATIKA, everything is digitised, including the academic reference. You just need an email from your referee.
We hope we have covered all the explanations in this blog. Please send an email at info@snatika.com if you have any questions or doubts.