Asking question about class material
Catching up if you miss a class
Getting to know me
Chatting about math and life in general
Getting advice about choosing courses
Getting advice about applying to graduate school
And more!
If you are a current student of mine, please come to office hours to discuss it with me! The best time to ask me for a letter is before the semester is over, so I can remember our interactions well.
If you think you might want a letter, come to my office hours regularly so we can talk about class, math in general, and your career plans. This is especially important if you're in a large class! The more I interact with you, the better my letter will be.
Ask for a letter in writing, even if we've spoken about it! Send me an email letting me know what program you're applying for and when the letter is due. Do this as soon as possible, even if the letter isn't due for months, so that I can take some notes to use to write your letter before I forget important details.
Ask well in advance of the deadline, preferably a month or more ahead. That gives me time to write you a good letter.
If I agree to write the letter, I will ask you for:
A description of the program or scholarship you're applying to and what they're looking for in an applicant (if it's not a math PhD program)
Any essays or statements you plan to include in your letter
An informal description of any accomplishments you are particularly proud of from my class
I'm happy to talk to you about this, either in my office hours or by appointment. Below are some links to resources that may also help with your application.
Mentoring and networking for minority students who want to go to grad school in math.
https://mathalliance.org/graduate-school-faq.html
General advice covering everything you need to be ready to apply to grad school in math. (See the Grad School Prep tab for even more information!)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hmdO7af3-lLvtJQO-szayG6blTvAYBQ1JcYXFZ_6apE/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Partial list of which schools require the general and math subject GRE.
NSF grants for graduate school. Any math PhD program should pay you, usually to teach, but this fellowship will reduce your teaching load while you're there.
https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/
Information about research experiences for undergraduates. Going to one of these can give you a feel for what math research is like, plus it looks great on a grad school application.
https://sites.google.com/view/ourfa2m2
Conference for minority undergraduates in math.
Organization for LGBTQ+ mathematicians.
The Mason Experimental Geometry Lab is a great place to get involved with research and outreach while you're a student, plus helps you meet other people in the math department.