Letters of Recommendation
If you would like me to write a letter of recommendation, I will need the following information.
I almost always notify a student immediately when I have submitted a letter. If the due date is approaching and you haven't heard back from me, feel free to remind me by email two or three days before the due date.
Don't hesitate to ask for additional letters from me if you encounter additional opportunities for which my recommendation would be helpful. Once I've written a letter for you, it is quite easy to adapt it for something else. Some students assume that they should spread out their requests among multiple recommenders to avoid inconveniencing them. This is not correct. For each application, you should ask for your strongest letters, until someone tells you to stop asking. I've never seen that happen.
- An email or address to which to send the letter, or a link to upload it. I do not send letters directly to their subjects.
- The name of the thing you are applying for. I will mention this in the letter. If you would like the letter to be effective, make sure this is exact.
- Ex., the Master of Arts program in English at the University of Michigan, the Albert Einstein Scholarship, the Summer Intern program at Community Hospital, etc.
- The actual date the letter is due. If you want me to try to get the letter done early, it would be better to tell me that, rather than to give me an artificially early due date.
- Ex., "The application is due on June 1, but I am going to have the rest of my application due on May 15, and would like your letter submitted by then if possible."
- A reminder of which semesters you were in my class, which classes you took from me, and what grades you got. You would be amazed at how quickly I forget this information, even though I am likely to remember the good work that you did for me. If we worked together outside the classroom (trips, competitions, research, etc.), mention those too.
- Your CV or resume. Optionally, if you would like to attach the term project you did for me, or your best paper, I may be able to mention some specific achievements that will make the letter better. Some students send me the personal statement they have prepared. The more I know about what you are applying for, the better I can mention effective details from our past work together.
- A website for the program you are applying to, or a brief description, especially if it has a list of criteria that I can reference in your favor. This is less important for things other than graduate programs, like specific scholarships or internship programs.
- Any other achievements in my class that you think I should mention in the letter.
I almost always notify a student immediately when I have submitted a letter. If the due date is approaching and you haven't heard back from me, feel free to remind me by email two or three days before the due date.
Don't hesitate to ask for additional letters from me if you encounter additional opportunities for which my recommendation would be helpful. Once I've written a letter for you, it is quite easy to adapt it for something else. Some students assume that they should spread out their requests among multiple recommenders to avoid inconveniencing them. This is not correct. For each application, you should ask for your strongest letters, until someone tells you to stop asking. I've never seen that happen.
