Letter of Recommendation Requests
First, please note that it is extremely rare that I agree to write letters for students who have taken courses with me, but who have not worked with me in any other capacity. It is not in your best interest or my best interest for me to do so.
If I have agreed to write you a letter of recommendation, please send me the following information, all at the same time. I will not begin working on your letter until I have everything on this list:
(a) Responses to the questions noted below (rough drafts are fine)
(b) The personal and research statements that you are submitting (rough drafts are fine)
(c) Your transcripts -- an unofficial copy is fine
(d) A list of all the places I will be submitting the information
(e) A list of how I should submit the information (e.g., regular mail, online)
(f) Any forms that should accompany your letter
Questions to be completed when requesting letters of recommendation:
1. How long have I known you and in what capacity?
2. What are your immediate and long-term career goals? Why are you applying for these particular positions or graduate programs?
3. In general, what do you see as your major strengths?
4. If you took a class from me:
(a) What was the class?
(b) If you wrote a major paper for me, what was it on, and what grade did you get?
(c) What was your final course grade?
(d) How does your performance or what you learned in this class relate to the position to which you are applying?
(e) How does your performance or what you learned in this class relate to your larger career goals?
(f) What were your strengths in this class?
(g) What makes you distinct from the average student in this class?
5. If you did independent research with me (e.g., senior thesis) or worked in the ASC Lab:
(a) On which project(s) did you work?
(b) What role(s) did you play in the research?
(c) Did you work with others in the lab and, if so, how did that go?
(d) How does your performance or what you learned in the lab relate to the position to which you are applying?
(e) How does your performance or what you learned in the lab relate to your larger career goals?
(f) What were your strengths in the ASC Lab? What did you do that was beyond the ordinary?
(g) What makes you distinct from the average student in the lab?
If I have agreed to write you a letter of recommendation, please send me the following information, all at the same time. I will not begin working on your letter until I have everything on this list:
(a) Responses to the questions noted below (rough drafts are fine)
(b) The personal and research statements that you are submitting (rough drafts are fine)
(c) Your transcripts -- an unofficial copy is fine
(d) A list of all the places I will be submitting the information
(e) A list of how I should submit the information (e.g., regular mail, online)
(f) Any forms that should accompany your letter
Questions to be completed when requesting letters of recommendation:
1. How long have I known you and in what capacity?
2. What are your immediate and long-term career goals? Why are you applying for these particular positions or graduate programs?
3. In general, what do you see as your major strengths?
4. If you took a class from me:
(a) What was the class?
(b) If you wrote a major paper for me, what was it on, and what grade did you get?
(c) What was your final course grade?
(d) How does your performance or what you learned in this class relate to the position to which you are applying?
(e) How does your performance or what you learned in this class relate to your larger career goals?
(f) What were your strengths in this class?
(g) What makes you distinct from the average student in this class?
5. If you did independent research with me (e.g., senior thesis) or worked in the ASC Lab:
(a) On which project(s) did you work?
(b) What role(s) did you play in the research?
(c) Did you work with others in the lab and, if so, how did that go?
(d) How does your performance or what you learned in the lab relate to the position to which you are applying?
(e) How does your performance or what you learned in the lab relate to your larger career goals?
(f) What were your strengths in the ASC Lab? What did you do that was beyond the ordinary?
(g) What makes you distinct from the average student in the lab?