Writing letters of recommendation is an important part of my job. If you would like me to provide a letter of recommendation for graduate school, a job, internship or summer research program, the guidelines below will help ensure that you provide me with all of the information I need.
Ask
As a general guideline, if you are interested in asking someone to serve as a reference or provide a letter of recommendation, you should not only ask if that person is able to provide a reference/letter for you – you should ask if that person is able to provide a strong, enthusiastic, and positive reference/letter for you. If I do not believe I can provide a reference/letter that will help your application, I will encourage you to consider others who might be in a better position to serve in this role.
An important thing that you can do to help me be in a position to provide a strong reference/letter for you is to provide me with opportunities to get to know you. Participate actively in class, visit office hours, invite me to lunch at Commons (I love Commons). The more opportunities I have to get to know you, the more personal your letter will be.
Ask Early!
Typically, I require at least one month advance notice for the first letter you request from me. If I have already written a letter of recommendation for you for another position/program, I usually require two weeks advance notice to submit a new letter. While it is sometimes possible to accommodate shorter turn-around times, especially if the revisions required are very minimal, I cannot guarantee that requests submitted outside these guidelines can be accommodated.
Information I Need From You
When requesting a reference/letter of recommendation, please be prepared to provide the following information:
- A current version of your resume/CV.
- A current version of your transcript (an unofficial copy is fine).
- A list of 2-3 bullet points that you would like me to highlight in your letter. These might be strengths you think you have that you think I am in a good position to comment on or interactions that we have had that you want me to be sure to mention. While I will build on these ideas in writing my letter, this will help ensure that I don’t leave out things that you think are particularly important from our relationship or interactions.
- The information I will need to submit your letter, including the program name, information about how to submit the letter, and deadline. If you are applying for multiple positions/programs, it is very helpful to me if you can compile all of this information in a single document.
- While not absolutely necessary, it can be helpful to provide me with drafts of application materials for the programs/positions you are applying for. This might be a draft of your project proposal for a summer research program, a cover letter for a job, or your personal statement for a graduate program. This will give me a sense of what you are emphasizing in your application, which can allow me to frame my letter in a way that is consistent with your overall application – and might also allow me to address strengths or qualities that I don’t see addressed elsewhere.
