I am happy to provide reference letters for students, provided that the following conditions are met.
1. Sufficient time for submission. Barring exceptional circumstances, I do not write new reference letters with less than three weeks notice. Please ensure that submission requests are provided well in advance of the due date.
2. Sufficient information upon which to base a reference. Ideally, your referees will be able to provide detailed and positive information about you. If you performed poorly in my class and/or had irregular attendance, I suggest that you find a different referee. For what it’s worth, I’m better with faces than names, so you may want to stop by my office during my office hours in addition to emailing me at kjmullen@uoregon.edu.
To make it easy for me to write a positive letter on your behalf, please provide me with a copy of your academic transcript and a one page overview that lists:
(1) all of the classes you have taken with me, and when the classes were taken;
(2) your final grades in the classes;
(3) information on your oral/written assignments for the classes (topics and grades); and
(4) any other information that you feel may be relevant.
Note: I will independently verify this information against the class records and will not provide a reference letter if the information you provide to me is false.
3. Organization of materials: Please provide, in a single email or page, a list of all of the schools or scholarship programs to which you are applying, the type of program (e.g., law school, MA, PhD), the type of submission (mail or electronic) and the due dates. Provide this even if there is only one application.
For reference letters that require mailed submissions, please provide: (1) a physical copy of each form (if applicable), with your information completed; and (2) an addressed, stamped envelope for each school (put the departmental address as the return address). (Most institutions require that the reference letters be mailed directly from the referee, with the referee’s signature across the back of the envelope.) Please note that I do not courier or fax reference letters.
4. Confirmation/Follow Up: When you request the reference letter(s), I will provide you with an estimated date on when I will submit the letter(s). Please note this date and email me on that date to confirm that the letters were in fact submitted.
Here is a handy checklist you can use. Good luck with your applications!