Recommendation Letters

I've started getting a handful of recommendation letter requests from previous students, so I thought that this would be a good place for general information about asking me for recommendation letters.

The Postdoc Problem: The first thing to consider before asking me for a letter is that I am still early in my career. For better or for worse, letters from postdocs are typically given less weight than letters from tenured or tenure track professors. For this reason, I am extra hesitant to write letters for all but my strongest students. This is not meant to reflect on your abilities or potential, it just means that I may not be the best person to advocate for you. (Note that this advice is aimed at people applying for postgrad programs. For summer internships, this is less of a factor).

Email First, Email Early: The first thing you should do if you are interested in a letter from me is to email me as early as possible, potentially before you have finalized where you will apply. It's helpful if you remind me which class (or classes) you took from me (since I have had a lot of students) and what types of programs you are looking to apply for. It's also helpful if you send me any materials you have prepared, such as a research statement or transcript (although these can wait for a later email if you prefer). If I get a letter request for a program when I have not heard from the student, I am likely to ignore it.

Course Specifics: One thing that is very helpful for the letter writing process is if you reflect on specific topics from courses you took with me. This could be something you found challenging and worked extra hard on, something you found interesting and want to explore deeper, something that had surprising connections with other courses, or even comments on the structure of the course. All of this gives me insight into you as a student, and if I pass on this information to hiring committees, it will help them decide if you are a good fit for their program. It's also useful for me to know your studying style. Do you prefer to work alone or in groups? Are there any special techniques you found to help you learn the content? I'm typically only aware of what happens within the classroom and office hours, which is often a small percentage of the whole story.

What if I don't reply?: I try to respond to emails in a timely manner, but every once in a while, one slips through the cracks of my inbox. If it takes me more than a week to reply to something, feel free to send me a follow-up message. During the school year, I try to keep things more up to date, so feel free to follow up if it takes me more than 2 business days (not counting weekends). Note that this also applies if you send me emails for other reasons.

Applications are a tedious, stressful, and time consuming process. Regardless of the outcome, it's an accomplishment to get through them. I wish everyone the best of luck (which is often what it comes down to)!