Letters of Recomendation

If you would like a letter of reference from me, please contact me with details about the letter: What it is for, the information requested, and the due date. I will need to have all materials at least two weeks (and ideally one month) before your earliest deadline.

Please waive your right to review the letter when you are completing your portion of the application. The letter will carry more weight if programs know that I am free to be completely candid.

If I agree to be a reference for you, I’ll refer you back to this page to proceed. These may not all be applicable to your situation, but please send me all the material that is. The more information I have, the better letter I can write. Send all materials at once, in a single email with as many of the files as PDFs as possible.

  • Resume, including all of the great things you’ve done academically and non-academically
  • A transcript (a screenshot or saved PDF of your BIP report is fine)
  • A list of schools (or programs) to which you’re applying, sorted by due date (earliest due date listed first)
  • A draft of any essays that you have to write for the program(s), or a summary statement about why you want to pursue this opportunity
  • A note about anything special I might not know about you (or I do know but you want to be sure I highlight)
  • A reminder of any special highlights from your coursework or research with me. What part of the experience made you the most proud?
  • A note about the name and pronouns I should use in the email.
  • An email a week before the letter is due with a gentle reminder to send it off

If any of your letters need to be sent by hard copy, please provide me with all envelopes and mailing details and fill out all forms as completely as you can. This includes entering my name, email address, etc. on the forms, and including my return address on any envelopes. Include stamped, addressed envelopes with a post-it of the due date on the front.

Finally, let me know the outcome of your applications and what you have decided to do!