Requesting recommendation letters

What you should consider before asking me for one

In a typical year I would receive over 40 requests for recommendation letters. The majority of those requests are for graduate school applications. While I am more than happy to advocate for you, I urge you to carefully consider whether I am the best person to write one for you.

In particular, for recommendation letters to work to your advantage, the recommender has to know you and know you well in order to provide a credible reference to the reviewers of your application. Please remember that I have to be honest in my evaluations. That is, I can only say things that I know about you and I will not be able to say things that I do not know about you. As a professor, I will usually have some idea about your academic performance in my class from the grades you earned, but that could be all. I may know you more from my individual interactions with you, but that is assuming we did have individual interactions. If I barely know you and you did not earn a good grade from my classes, it is obviously not a good idea for you to ask me for a letter because my evaluations are not likely to help your application.

Please note that having taken multiple courses from me is not itself a good reason to ask me for a letter. Unlike most other CSD faculty, I teach two required undergraduate courses, so the majority of CSD majors will have had me for multiple courses. Being your academic advisor does not automatically qualify me as a good recommender either. If our contact was limited to the group-advising meeting once every semester, I probably do not know you any better than anyone else. Occasionally people ask me for letters because I can remember their names. That is not itself a good reason either, because it probably says more about me than you, and I am not the person applying for graduate school.

Professors are not the only potential people you can ask for letters. It is far more important to find someone who knows you well and who can attest to your potentials to succeed in graduate school. Imagine yourself as the reviewer of graduate school applications: Will you be convinced by a letter from the president of the United States who shows no evidence of knowing the applicant, or would you rather believe in someone who can provide concrete, specific descriptions about the applicant’s qualities and potential?

Keep in mind that a recommendation letter request is as much your decision as it is mine. I am happy to advocate for you, but you need to consider the fact that I will be writing many letters for your cohort and I can only say as much (or little) as I know about you. Given the fact most people are going to apply to the same programs (usually in the state of Ohio), reviewers at those programs are going to read a lot of letters from me and they will inevitably make comparisons.

This is by no means to discourage you from requesting a letter from me. I just want you to consider what is involved in a recommendation. I am honored to be asked, but I will not be offended at all if you eventually decide that I am not the best person to ask. I will certainly appreciate your careful consideration of the aforementioned points. Keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to get into graduate school, and I want nothing but the best for you to make that happen.

What to do if you do wish to request a letter from me

Let me know (1) why you think I am one of the best people to write a letter for you, and (2) your plans for graduate school, e.g., why you want to attend graduate school, which programs you’re planning to apply, and why you think you’re a good fit for graduate school. I will carefully and mindfully evaluate your request.

What to do if I agree to write a letter for you

If I agree to write a letter for you, I will usually work on the letters during the winter break because most graduate applications are due early in the year. Just let me know if you have earlier deadlines; I’d be happy to accommodate your special needs. I ask that you provide me with minimally the following documents to facilitate my work for you:

Information about when you took my class(es) and what grade(s) you earned.

A copy of your DARS

A copy of your resume

A copy of the “statement of purpose” or “personal statement” that you usually will have to write for your applications. You do not have to write one just for me. Any copy that you prepare for any graduate school applications will do.

Detailed instructions on what to do with the letters, including minimally a list of programs you’re applying to, their deadlines, who and where to send the letters, etc.

The more detailed and organized your information is, the easier it will be for me to advocate for you.

Finally, I ask you to waive your right to view my letters. While I do not mind sharing my letter with you, it will be to your advantage if you waive the right. My letter will appear more credible to the reviewers if they know you do not have access to it. More important, waiving the right shows your trust in me. If you did not believe I would write a positive letter, you should not have asked in the first place.

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