If you are considering asking me for a letter, please read the following information carefully, and in its entirety. I want to encourage students to pursue further academic study, apply for scholarships, REUs, or summer internships, and find jobs, so I am happy to help by being a reference or writing a letter if you can follow the procedures below. Please provide me with these materials at least 4 weeks before your first recommendation is due. You can still ask for a letter if it is within 4 weeks, but I may not be able to honor requests that come at the last minute.

Follow the procedures below:

1. Consider if I am the best choice to write this letter for you. Do we know each other well enough for me to write something beyond “so-and-so got a good grade in my class”? Letters that say only that can actually do more harm than good.

   I can usually write a strong, specific letter if we have worked together in a sustained way: a course where we interacted regularly (in office hours or through your written work), collaborative learning training, a directed reading, an independent study, an REU, or a thesis. If none of these apply, I am still happy to talk, but someone who knows your work more closely may serve you better.

2. Give me Information. If you do still want me to write you a letter, you should know that the key to effective recommendation letters is making them as detailed and specific as possible. I will write as many honest, specific, positive things as I possibly can based on my interactions with you. Nonetheless, you should consider giving me any other information that you think will help me write an even more detailed letter.

   • Send me an unofficial copy of your transcript and your CV or resume
     • List any academic honors earned at your institution
     • List any clubs, professional organizations, and volunteer activities.
   • Send me any essays/personal statements you are using for the application.

   Remember that when you write your application essay, you are trying to sell yourself. Be personal, but also structure the essay so that it advocates, and even brags, on your behalf. Feel free to send me any essays/CV/Resume/etc. if you would like some feedback on any of your materials.

3. Please write a rough draft answering the questions below. First, this will help you analyze if the schools, scholarships, or positions you are applying for are really a good match. Second, it gives me an idea of your self-perceived strengths. Third, it makes sure I don’t miss anything you want me to talk about in your letter.

   Do not feel like you need to be modest in your letter. Also, realize that I am not “testing” you with this task. You do not need to labor over your draft to impress me. You just need to write something honest that might be helpful as I write about you.

   • What is your name, pronouns, year/status in school, and field of study?
   • How long have I known you, and what is my relationship(s) to you? (instructor, advisor, colleague, etc.)
   • How would you describe yourself and what are your strengths?
   • What are your long-term goals, and how will this internship/position/award help you achieve them?
   • What makes you particularly qualified for this internship/position/award?
     • If this is an REU, please provide information about the project/program you are applying to and why you are a great fit for it.
   • One or two specific moments from our work together that stand out to you: a problem you struggled with and then solved, a question you asked, a presentation you gave, something you taught yourself. Even a rough memory helps, since these details are what make a letter convincing.

4. Please send me a single email containing all of the above documents and include a list of due dates or links to upload the letter/reference. To make these easy to track, please use one row per application, for example:

   Program or position	Deadline	How to submit	Link or email address
   		portal or email
   		portal or email

Most applications ask whether you waive your right to view the letter. Please waive it. Confidential letters carry far more weight with admissions and selection committees, and I am only able to write on that basis.

Please send me reminders as each deadline approaches. They are genuinely helpful rather than a bother, since I tend to lose track when several letters are in progress. If I have written for you before, a letter for an additional program needs much less lead time from you.

Some of these suggestions were taken from Dr. Amanda Harsy’s webpage.