recommendation letters

If you want me to write a letter of recommendation for you, please adhere strictly to the following guidelines:

(1) If I have previously written a letter supporting you for an equivalent position, then you should send me an e-mail at least 2 weeks before the deadline that includes: (i) the details of the position; (ii) the deadline date; (iii) a few paragraphs on why you think this opportunity is a good fit for you. E-mails that arrive less than two weeks before the submission deadline will be ignored unless the circumstances are genuinely outside of your control. Note that "equivalent position" means, for example, if I have already written letters for your Ph.D. program application and you want to add one more school to your list, then that's okay. It does NOT apply if I wrote your letters for study abroad and now you are applying to graduate school, or if I wrote your letters to support a postdoctoral application and now you are applying for faculty positions. Once I receive your e-mail, I will acknowledge it. If I fail to acknowledge your message, and if you have met the above criteria, then you should send me another e-mail.

(2) If this is the first time I am writing a letter for this purpose, then you should contact me by e-mail about 4 weeks before the deadline. You should tell me about the opportunity and why you think it is a good fit. You should also provide me with additional information (e.g. your transcript, your personal statement, etc.) to help me write a better letter. In most cases, I will arrange for a time to meet with you in person, before I agree to write a letter on your behalf.