How does one get an Academic reference letter of recomendation when one has been out of college for 17 years?

You need to find someone who knows you and your skills and your goals. Then make sure he or she can write clearly and well (and tersely). He can explain the extenuating circumstances.

Plenty of adults go back to school after a gap decade or two. If you can do the work, your maturity and discipline will go a long way.

I just wrote an Academic rec. for a teen-ager who did odd jobs for me. He was home-schooled so I was it. He go into a very competitive Early Decision program at the college of his choice. (Of course, my letter was a small part of the package he presented).

I would ask that same question to the people requesting the letter. They might give you a waiver. MY answer to your question would be “you can’t!” (certainly not one with any validity).

it would be helpful if you said why you think you need one.

5. Recommendation/Appraisal
Three evaluation forms are attached. Please have college/university instructors or employers complete these forms and return them as directed.
References from inappropriate sources (friends, neighbors, etc.) could result in rejection or delay of acceptance. A minimum of one
academic reference is required.

So in other words, a form letter. Not an actual person telling you you need one.

Call the place. Talk to a human being. Explain your special circumstance that you’re reapplying to school after 17 years, and therefore an academic reference is illogical.

Wait a minute it says professors OR employers. Professors only if you have no work experience. I tell my students their educational experience only counts until their 1st job. From then on it’s about their work, nobody cares about your GPA.

galileogirl, read the last line. That’s the part the OP is concerned about.

Then the app is poorly written. I wonder if it is for a govt job. At any rate a poorly written app may reflect on the quality of the company.

Is this for a return to higher education or a job? You can certainly work around that last line. I’m with galileogirl, as I usually am.

gail I thought about a university teaching or admin job too, but who applies for one of those without knowing other academics?

uh GPA is pretty important if you wanna get into a nice college or graduate school/law/medical/mba.

Actually I found GMAT scores more important. A run of the mill 3.4 gpa wouldn’t have opened any doors but a 98th percentile GMAT score got me an offer from Stanford.

LKid, the assumption in galileo‘s remark is that “first job” comes after college.

Thank you all.

It is an application for a Baccalaureate Accelerated BSN Nursing Program. My BA is in English, but I could not really find a Grad Program that I felt could lead to stable employement with substantial income. So with a few prerequisites, 12 months later, I should be done and gainfully employeed, with a little luck and a lot of student loans.