A reference letter is the only part of your application you do not write, which makes it the most believable part. Committees know it. A specific, warm letter moves an application up the pile; a generic one ("responsible student, pleasure to teach") quietly sinks it. The difference is mostly in how you ask.
Who to ask
The person who knows you best, not the person with the best title. A teacher who watched you struggle and improve writes a better letter than a principal who knows your name. Good candidates:
- A teacher whose class connects to the award (science teacher for a STEM award, English teacher for an essay-heavy one).
- A coach, club supervisor, or volunteer coordinator who has seen you take responsibility over time.
- An employer, if you have held the job for a while. For local awards especially, a shift supervisor who trusts you is strong evidence.
Check the award's rules first: some specify a teacher, some exclude family, and some want two different perspectives. Schulich Leader Scholarships go further and require a school nomination before you can apply at all, while the David Bentley High School Excellence Award and the Empowered Young Woman Award both want a letter from someone who has watched you over time.
When to ask
Three weeks before the deadline, minimum. Teachers get buried in these requests every October and November, and the letters written at 11 p.m. the night before read like it. Asking early is not just polite; it is a quality strategy. If a big fall award like Loran is on your list, ask in September.
How to ask
Ask in person or by a short, direct message: "I'm applying for [award]. It rewards [thing]. Would you be comfortable writing me a strong reference?" The word "strong" matters. It gives a lukewarm referee a graceful exit, and a lukewarm letter is worse than none.
What to hand them
The single biggest upgrade you can make. Give every referee a one-page package:
- What the award is and what it rewards, in one sentence.
- The deadline and exactly how to submit (portal link, email, or a form).
- Three specific things they have seen you do, with details. You are not writing the letter for them; you are handing them the evidence so their letter can be specific.
- What you plan to study and why, in two sentences.
We keep a fill-in version of all four messages (the ask, the one-page package, the reminder and the thank-you) on one page: the reference letter request template. Copy it, replace the brackets, send it.
Afterwards
Send a reminder a few days before the deadline, and a thank-you after, win or lose. You will likely need the same person again in the spring round of local awards (the Kelly Creaghan Stepping Up in the Community Award and the ATB Financial Bursary both ask for one), and referees remember students who closed the loop.