LOR and LETTERHEAD

[Rachelb1]

I am being stymied in my search for LOR's.  Some school specify that LOR's be on official letterhead.  For those applicants with recent academic experience or work experience this isn't a problem.

For me, a much older non-professional student it is turning out to be impossible.  UG was 20 years ago and the profs are deceased.  Even if they were still around, they didn't know me from Adam.  As far as employer recommendations, one of them which accounts for about 25 years of WE, went out of business and the other one has gone through so many downsizings, lay-offs, and restructuring that the no one who knew me is left in the company.

It's not like I dont have anyone who can be a recommender, I do.  Individuals who have known me through my work and my volunteer activity.  The problem is they are retired and don't have any type of official letterhead.  The few people who could write a letterhead recommendation are doctors who know nothing about me other than my aches and pains.

It is so frustrating to me since shouldn't what a letter says about a potential applicant, be worth more than the paper it's written on?

Racehl

[RockyMtnHighMama]

Rachel,
My situation is similar, I'm 17 years out of UG, and I had to get LOR from people who knew me from volunteer work.

Perhaps your writers can use official letterhead stationery of the volunteer organization? That is what mine did.

If you are volunteering through a faith-based organization, you might have the spiritual head of that organization write a letter about your volunteer work.

Alternatively, your writers can create their own "official" letter-head stationery using a computer printer. I think the schools just want to know "why" this person is qualified to recommend you, and "why" their opinion should be worth hearing.