Seeking Letters of Recommendation

Writing letters recommending students to graduate schools, fellowships, internships, and such is a part of my academic job.

Advice like this is neither new nor unique. I am building on more detailed posts from more experienced academicians and my personal experience as a reader of several recommendation letters.

• You should have worked with me on a project to get a letter from me. Please read this post to approach me for a project.
  • This is necessary but not sufficient.
  • While you are working with me, note any interesting interactions or significant contributions to the project. (See the point about evidence below.)
• Plan ahead: give me at least a month to work on your letter before your earliest deadline.
  • Ask in person first; in this conversation, be prepared to tell me your long-term plans and how your work with me is relevant to your application.
• Once I agree to write a letter for you, get the school’s portal to send me a link to upload your letter. Waive your right to read the letter.
• Send me:
  • Your CV
  • SOP for that school
  • Summary of the work you have done with me
  • Summary of what you want me to highlight in a letter.
    • This is where you should brag; I will filter/tone down if required.
    • You may have to highlight different things for different schools—study their application carefully (E.g., grad school LOR prompts for Stanford and Cornell).
  • Provide evidence for the things you want me to talk about. For example, if I am stating you are “receptive to constructive criticism,” tell me about an instance where you improved your work after receiving critical feedback.

Some useful links:

• Dr. Long’s Twitter thread on the importance of listing evidence about the candidate’s qualities.
• Dr. Krishnamurthi’s Advice to Graduate School Recommendation Letter Writers. Knowing what I am expected to write will help you approach me with the right information.