If you want somebody to write your reference for you, you need to give them plenty of time to do it. This means a teacher or manager that you’ve worked closely with. Your assessment should be an accurate reflection of who you are, so whoever writes it needs to know you. The best thing you can do is pick someone to write your reference who knows you well enough to deliver an honest assessment of what you’re capable of. Let’s take a look at how to get the right letter written: Pick Someone You Trust It needs to be someone who knows you academically or professionally, so the letter has some integrity. You can’t choose a family member or friend to write it for you. You need to pick the right person for your reference letter. How to Choose the Right Person For Your Reference They should talk about how they believe you’re the right fit for the courses and what you can offer. This letter is your place for conveying your skills and strengths. Your referee will need to know what you’ve studied, what you’re applying for, and the contents of your statement because the reference letter should use it as a basis for what to say.

Your reference should therefore work with the contents of your UCAS personal statement in regard to the way it’s written. It doesn’t have to be your college lecturer or tutor - older students apply all the time and need a reference. If you’re submitting a university application, then you should try and choose an individual who knows you well in either a professional or academic context. It will offer up information like your predicted grades. It’s not like your personal statement in that sense - you don’t get to write it or even say what goes into it besides offering up some context. You won’t have any control over the contents of your letter.

Understandably, you’ll struggle to deliver an accurate assessment of yourself in most cases. However, the purpose of the letter is to outline who you are in the eyes of someone else. This is usually your teacher or mentor - someone who’s worked with you will also suffice for mature students. The letter will be written by your reference. So, the letter is used a lot by the admissions team to get a proper understanding of who you are. Let’s take a look at what you need to know. Regardless, the UCAS application demands a reference, so you’ll need to get a trusted adult to submit a reference for you. You can’t easily lie or boast in a UCAS reference letter - some applicants have discovered their application contrasts with the words written by a teacher or mentor upon initial request. Your UCAS reference letter can make or break your application in a lot of situations because it helps the admissions team get a clear understanding of you as told by someone else. When it comes to your UCAS application, you’re responsible for writing every part of the admission except for one document - the UCAS references.

Ucas reference mature student example