So, you’re looking for a letter of recommendation from me. It makes sense — I’m an engineering professor, and you’re trying to get into an engineering something or other. Before you ask me for a letter, please ask yourself the following questions:
- Does Tram know me well enough to write an awesome letter?
- Did I try my very best in Tram’s class?
- Is Tram the best person to ask because of her position, and not because of her disposition?
- Am I giving her at least two weeks to write the letter? (This question is boldface, because this is probably the most important thing!)
If the answer to the above questions were all a resounding “yes, most definitely yes” then go ahead, ask me. Be prepared to provide me with the following information:
- A resume or CV
- A transcript of your academic past
- All the information I need regarding where to send your letter of recommendation (please be prepared to send hard copies to the selection committee yourself)
- Information regarding what the letter is for, be it a scholarship, a transfer application, or a research position
- A personal statement that includes your educational and professional goals
- Any other information you think is worth me knowing, which you might want highlighted in your letter (hardships, awesome skills, etc.)
- Those of you who are requesting EOP letters may wish to read up on what I need from you at this link.
What happens if you don’t provide me with all that extra information? Your letter becomes quite generic. Totally like filling in a Mad Libs on my end. No professor would ever really write an awful letter of recommendation (if they have nothing good to say, they’d rather just not do the work of writing a letter), so a generic letter is your biggest enemy.
Remind me a lot! I will most likely put your letter on the low priority list (sorry ’bout it — your letter is a labor of love, not a necessity for survival, and sometimes I forget…) so you should plan on emailing me a couple times before the due date to guilt me into getting it done.
ONCE I HAVE AGREED TO WRITE YOU A LETTER AND YOU HAVE COMPILED ALL THE INFORMATION LISTED ABOVE, fill out the following form: Recommendation Letter Request Form
Note that if I haven’t given you the go-ahead, I still won’t write you a letter even if you’ve filled out the form. It’s also a good idea to let me know when you make additions if I haven’t written you a letter in a while.