How far back can you use a letter of recommendation?

A common question among job seekers is “How far back can I go to ask people I’ve worked with before to be references for me?” As a general rule the answer is “not more than five to seven years.”

How long is enough time for a letter of recommendation?

Ask at the Right Time Exactly. The rule of thumb is you should give your recommender a full month, but you should never give less than two weeks. In fact, you can even tell them several months ahead of time that you plan to ask them to write a letter when the time comes.

Can you ask an old professor for a letter of recommendation?

As the others have said, you most definitely can do this. We all write letters of recommendation for students we had a semester ago or many years ago, and everything in between. The better I knew you at the time, and the more you have kept in touch over the years, the better the letter might be.

Can I use a year old letter of recommendation?

The letter from a few years ago isn’t bad. And so, just ask if the professor would re-date the letter. If you’re reapplying to medical school, or you unfortunately got a letter several years ago. For instance, if you’re applying in 2022, you want the letter of recommendation to be dated in 2022 as well.

Can you use old letters of recommendation for medical school?

You can reuse your letters of recommendation, but medical schools do not keep them on file, so you will need to resubmit them each time you apply. Just because you can reuse a letter of recommendation doesn’t mean you should.

Does a letter of recommendation need a date?

A reference letter is a common support tool for job applicants. While a date is commonly included in the formatting of a reference letter, its validity is left up completely to the organization or hiring manager to whom you present it.

Is it weird to email an old Professor?

No, it is not weird. And in making a friendly contact – perhaps not long after graduating, you might be able to tell from the reply whether the professor wants to keep in touch. I have always appreciated it when a former student has stayed in touch. Graduating is an interesting transition for most.

Can I reuse old letters of recommendation?

Can I Use Letters of Recommendation Multiple Times? Definitely! You may need the person sending the letter of rec to submit it separately each time. The easiest way to reuse letters of rec is usually on an application platform, where the letters are often automatically used as many times as you apply to colleges.

Do medical schools know if you are a Reapplicant?

Do medical schools know if you are a reapplicant? Schools will only know whether you are reapplying to their program, but not others. Moreover, they can only see your previous application if they saved it in their database.

Can I use a letter of recommendation from a year ago?

College applications usually prefer the recommendations from current or junior year teachers. But if you are applying for a job, a recommendation from a person you worked for/with several years ago could still be very relevant.