Request for Letter of Recommendation
If you are seeking a letter of recommendation from me or any other professor, please first consider:
- Does this professor know my name?
- Have I ever spoken to this professor outside of class?
- Did this professor give me a grade of ‘B’ or higher in the course?
- Have I taken more than one course with this professor?
- Will this professor’s letter help me get into my chosen program?
It is very important to choose your recommendation letter writers carefully. In most cases, it is best to choose someone who has been your professor for at least two semesters, that is in your intended field or major, or with whom you have a personal relationship. For instance, if you are Health Administration and Policy Program (HAPP)major and are applying to Nursing school, it is probably better to ask someone who can speak to your success as a HAPP major or that has a connection to the Nursing field.
If you believe that I am the right person to recommend you, please send me the following information by email after I agree to write the letter.
1. An updated resume or CV
2. A blurb telling me a bit about yourself, what you have been up to since taking my classes, why you want to go to this program and this university. (You can pull from your personal statement for this).
3. The title of the course you took with me and the semester/year (ex. Gender and Globalization, Spring 2013 and Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies, Fall 2014).
4. The recommendation due date and submission procedures (please indicate if the letter needs to be mailed, emailed or will the university send me a form to complete). If you need a hard copy letter or need to fill out a portion of the form by hand, be sure to complete the form, scan and email to me.
5. a photo of yourself (particularly if you took my class more than a year ago)
I would prefer to have this information in a single document/email.
Be sure that you give me 4-6 weeks before the recommendation is due and I always appreciate a reminder 1-2 weeks before the due date.
Check out this post on Wikihow for detailed guidelines on best practices for asking for a letter of recommendation: http://www.wikihow.com/Ask-Your-Professor-for-a-Letter-of-Recommendation-Via-Email