Letters of recommendation
(and some Q&A)
I am often asked to write letters of recommendation, and I take pride in writing them well.
Here are some things you can do to help me write a strong letter for you.
Deadlines
I appreciate having at least three weeks advance notice before the deadline,
especially if I have not written a letter for you before.
(If you need additional letters, I can usually send these out with much shorter notice.)
However, you should feel free to ask me even if the deadline is less than three weeks away.
Why do you ask for three weeks? It doesn't take that long to write a letter, does it?
No, it usually takes me a couple of hours to write a letter, but
I might have a dozen other tasks on my schedule that also take a couple of hours,
which I might need to finish first. For instance, I might be writing letters for
other people that are due at around the same time (I think my record is writing letters
for 21 people in one year), so it's helpful to have the advance notice.
Also, I like having some time to think things over before I start writing.
Online or paper? Send directly or not?
I don't know if any schools or employers are still asking for hard copies of letters,
but I would much prefer to submit letters online if that is an option.
Also, as a general policy, I always send letters directly to the program or employer,
rather than give them to you to include with your application.
What you should provide for me
(1) Due dates, including times if specified
If your program lists a specific time that the letter is due, be sure to let me know.
Otherwise, I will assume the deadline is the end of the day (i.e., 11:59 pm) on the specified date.
(2) Information about what you are applying to
a. For internships, fellowships, REUs, jobs, etc.: A brief description or link to the web page
describing what you are applying to
b. For graduate school and professional programs (e.g., MD, MBA),
I do not need specific information on each program.
However, if you are applying to work with a specific person (e.g., a professor in a particular lab),
a link to that person's web page is helpful.
(3) Information about you
a. A list of any work you have done with me, with dates: classes you have taken with me,
research you have done with me, classes of mine that you have graded for, etc.
b. A list of any other academic positions you have held at Swarthmore (e.g., grader, clinician,
tutor, etc.)
c. A resume or c.v.
d. A copy of your application essay, if applicable. A rough draft is fine.
d. Any talking points or special skills that you might like me to mention in the letter --
e.g., specific coursework, extracurricular experience, internships, computer skills, awards, etc.
e. A transcript (an unofficial copy is fine). However, if you are a current Swat student,
or if you are a Swat alum and your grade information is online in the registrar's system,
then you don't need to provide a transcript; I can access it myself online.
f. A list of the other people writing letters for you.
Why do you ask for all this information? You know what classes I took with you, don't you?
Yes, I most likely remember the classes you took with me, but it can be
helpful to have the dates provided, especially if you graduated some time ago.
And I don't have a systematic list of graders and clinicians, so that information is
certainly helpful.
The other information helps me write a stronger letter and to tailor it to the
particular programs you are applying to.
For instance, if you are applying to a job that says it's looking for
"strong quantitative and analytical skills", I can emphasize that your work in my
class demonstrates such skills.
Your resume and application essay may give me additional items I can highlight.
Knowing who else is writing you a letter helps me know what I should emphasize, and
can let me know to cover things that might otherwise get left out. For instance, if you did
research with Prof. X but aren't asking for a letter from her, I might mention something like,
"In addition to doing summer research with me, [you] also worked on research with Prof. X
on the biomechanics of articulate brachiopods".
I will usually write in detail only about things I know from my direct personal experience.
For instance, if one of your talking points is that you demonstrated leadership as
captain of the varsity basketball team, that's not something I would be qualified to discuss
at length (although I might mention that being a student-athlete demonstrates your
time management skills).
But if you regularly attended office hours and worked hard in my class,
that's something I can write more about.
If you've won an award or distinction at Swarthmore, I can highlight that to provide context
or so it won't
get overlooked. For instance, if you won the math department's Brinkmann Award,
I can mention why that's important -- e.g., there's only one given out per year and the
department faculty consider it a big honor.
Waiving your rights
Some forms ask you whether you want to waive your rights to see the letter.
You should always waive your rights; readers will not take your letters as seriously if you
do not do so. (I can attest to this from my first-hand experience serving on
graduate admissions committees before I came to Swarthmore.)
Following up
I will let you know, usually by email, when I have sent out your letters. If you haven't
heard from me by a week before the deadline, feel free to send me an email to remind me.
In fact, I'll write the email for you -- just copy and paste the following and send it to me:
Steve,
This is just a reminder that my letter of recommendation is due on [date]. Please let me
know when you've sent it in. Thanks.
[name]
Finally, I'd appreciate hearing news of the outcome of your applications,
including both where you were accepted and rejected. This information is helpful for me
in advising future students. For instance, if I know you had a 3.7 GPA and got into program X,
then that could help me advise a future student with a 3.7 GPA who is applying to program X.
I hope these steps will help me write the strongest possible letter for you. Thanks!
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