Recommendation Letters

Writing recommendation letters is one of the best part of my job. I am happy to write a recommendation for students who worked with me and did well. Usually, I expect that you have taken at least two courses with me and you have done reasonably well (at least a B in the earlier course and a B+ or better in the later course). Or, you have taken one course and you have done exceedingly well (you earned an A and an “end-of-term” note).

If your only course with me was a B or lower, I may not be the best person to ask for a letter.

Many places, especially graduate schools, offer you the right to read the recommendation letter I wrote, after I submit it. They also offer you the option to waive your right to read the recommendation letter.

My suggestion is that you waive that right when asking for a letter from me. I will write the letter for you in either case, but the content will be different. Letters that can be read by their beneficiary are more boiler plate. That’s to protect both you and myself from misunderstandings. If you waive your right to read the letter, I can be more candid in the letter and provide a more helpful assessment of your abilities.

In either case, if I agree to write a letter for you, it means that I think highly of you and I want to help. Waiving your right to the letter allows me to write a strong letter in the shortest period of time, without worrying how you may interpret something I wrote. To do the same with a letter that you can read, requires much more time than I have. And so, I write a simpler letter, that takes about the same time as a candid letter than you will not read.

When asking for a letter, please share with me a copy of your resume, a list of courses that you took with me and your grades, and maybe 3-4 key items that you would like me to emphasize in my letter about you. And plan ahead. It is impossible to turn a recommendation letter around in less than 3-4 days. None of the material above is required, but the less I have to work with, the terser the letter.