Recommendations for graduate school, employment, or REUs

If I agree to write a letter for you, please follow the instructions in this document:

Requirements for Recommendations  - the same info is below

1) Before I write your recommendations please think carefully of whether or not I'm the best person to write a recommendation for you.  It is my policy only to write recommendations for students who I truly know e.g.,

• those who work in my lab,

• do an MQP with me, or

• perform exceedingly well in more than one of my courses.

2) Please understand that writing the letter takes a number of hours and I’m very busy. Allow at least 2 weeks and as much as 1 month to get them done.

3) Email a self-recommendation (you know yourself better than I do), and your transcript and resume (highlighting your extracurricular activities, etc.). Please write the letter of recommendation from the recommender’s (my) point of view. Make yourself shine! Make the school want you! Why are you special, what have you done that should make them want you in their program? 

Click here for an example grad school recommendation

4) Please print me out a sheet of
  a) all the schools you’re applying to
  b) when the applications are due, and
  c) any special instructions for each school (e.g., send directly or seal, sign, and return to student).

5) You should put stamps on the envelopes and my return address. I spend hours completing these, make it easy on me. Also, fill out my name, position, address, telephone number etc. when possible (even if it’s in the “recommender” section).  Click here for my contact info

Also, although I’m willing to write your recommendation, you should critically assess how you think I should feel about your work in the classroom and on projects. Am I the best person to give you a recommendation at this point? If I suggest that I may not be the most qualified or appropriate person to write a recommendation, you should take my statement seriously. I’m just being fair and honest. You want the best recommendations possible.