Instructions for the referee

Choose a referee who knows you well

Some organizations require letters or forms of recommendation. These documents are very important for applications, so you must choose a referee who knows you well enough to comment on:

• your knowledge;
• your research skills and potential (if applicable, as depending on the type of scholarship applied for, the referee may not have to attest to the research area, but to other aspects such as your leadership, etc.);
• your communication skills;
• your leadership and interpersonal skills;
• your strengths compared to other students.

It is important to choose someone who knows you well enough to provide you with a detailed letter. If they hesitate to provide a letter, choose someone else. Usually, your current or proposed research supervisor makes an excellent referee, but you must consult the competition rules to verify the organization's requirements regarding the choice of referee. This person's letter is extremely important because it can make all the difference between receiving a scholarship and not receiving one, even for a strong applicant.

It is important to tell them:

• to include facts and very concrete examples in their letter,
• to write their recommendation in text form, not as a list,
• that a recommendation that is too short is perceived negatively, even when the comments are positive.

It is important to provide them with information about yourself.

If the person writing the letter will be commenting on your academic record, research potential, and experience, send them a copy of your scholarship application (or your written materials: research summary, experience reports, etc.). This will allow them to provide additional information and connect it to your experience or other elements mentioned in your application.

Also send them your curriculum vitae to get a broader overview of your profile and make connections, if necessary, in their letter.

Remind them of the deadline for submitting their letter or recommendation form.

It is your responsibility to ensure that referees are aware of the competition deadline so they can submit their letter or form promptly, in accordance with the organization's rules. Failure to submit a recommendation by the competition deadline renders your application incomplete. Depending on the competition, this may result in your application being rejected or prevent you from submitting it to the organization.

Provide your referee with all relevant information regarding the submission method requested by the organization (e.g., by mail, online, electronically, etc.) and ensure you send them the complete addresses or relevant hyperlinks when required.

Follow up with the referee.

At least one week before the competition deadline, contact your referee to confirm everything is in order and ensure they will be able to submit their letter before the competition deadline. 

To contact us: Info-ÉTS or Graduate Studies Office (A-1700)