Letters of Recommendation

I am always open to discussing the possibility of writing you a letter of recommendation. And I am happy to certify and/or submit a progress report for you. Below are some of my policies on both. Other faculty will have different policies, so it's worth reaching out to ask them.

Current students/TAs may:

  • Request a progress report

  • Set up a meeting so that I can get to know you better with the intention for me to write a letter of recommendation once you have completed at least one course with me (and you can also evaluate whether I can write a strong letter on your behalf)

    • I will NOT submit a letter of recommendation for students who have not completed at least one entire course with me

Former students/TAs may:

  • Request a certification of a past course grade or participation (essentially a progress report)

  • Request a letter of recommendation

    • In most circumstances, I will ask that we set up a meeting so that I can write the strongest letter possible (and you can also evaluate whether I can write a strong letter on your behalf)


Letters of recommendation

My policies about writing recommendation letters

Recipient

  • I do not provide letters of recommendation directly to applicants (i.e., you or your family/friends).

Deadlines

  • I need at least three weeks notice to write a letter of recommendation. This means that you need to ask me AT LEAST three weeks before a deadline. If there is an ASU holiday or break during those three weeks, please plan for more time.

  • When I agree to write a letter of recommendation or progress report, I will typically include a date (usually a week before your deadline) when I plan to submit the letter of recommendation and a request that you reach out if I haven't confirmed submission at that point. I kindly ask that you trust I will complete your letter on time and only update me with additional information that might help me write a stronger letter of recommendation.

  • I am always happy to work ahead on deadlines as much as I'm able! If you know you'll want a letter of recommendation from me at some point, you can ask me to start drafting one. For instance, if you're planning to take a break from school before applying to a graduate program, you can ask me to have a letter on hand so I'm ready when you are to submit applications! I'll need most of the same information listed below (specific recipients unknown at this point, but give me a general sense of what you’re thinking of and your fit; maybe you don't have a personal statement at this point--please include a description of your future goals instead).

    • I personally would prefer a student asking me to write a letter with an "as yet undetermined deadline + recipient" at then end of a session than a year or two later. In fact, the foresight and consistency in goals is something that I can speak positively about in my letter! Plus, it can be much easier to pull together feedback when you’ve just taken a specific course and definitely before graduation.

Writing a "strong/positive" letter of recommendation

  • My general recommendation is always to ask someone if they can write a positive letter of recommendation on your behalf for the specific thing you are applying for. Sometimes people can't or don't feel as though they're the best candidate for the job.

  • My confidence in writing a positive letter of recommendation depends on what I am writing for, your performance in my course(s), and any interactions we've had.

      • Performance doesn't just mean that you received an A! If your coursework greatly improved over the session--that's also something I can speak positively about. Or maybe you had a discussion post that really stood out about a topic relevant to what you want a recommendation for.

  • I can only write to what I know. That's why I have a list of things I need for a strong letter of recommendation (see below)!

My response to your request

Unless there is a clear reason why I cannot write you a strong letter of recommendation, I will!

A few reasons I may not:

  • You need a letter in less than 3 weeks (exceptions being that I've already written a letter for you and I can tweak this, or that you inform me that the deadline hasn't been posted yet, but I still need more than two day’s notice)

  • I am busy or unavailable. I am on a 9-month contract, which means I will not be checking my work email much in the summer months. Please plan accordingly! If you know in April you might want a letter in August, let me know and I can draft something up early.

  • You did not pass my class. Typically, I get requests for graduate programs and I cannot vouch for your academic abilities if you did not pass my class.

  • I am not confident about writing you a strong letter for the specific position/award you are applying for.

    • If the award is for something I cannot speak to, I will not write a letter for you. For instance, if the award is about mentoring and you have done no mentoring in my course, I cannot endorse your mentoring ability/experience.

    • I will not write a letter of recommendation when someone does not meet objective requirements of a position/award. For instance, if the position asks that you have 5 years of experience doing counseling and you have not done any counseling, I cannot in good conscience write a letter recommending you for that position.

To this last point: if I cannot in good faith submit a recommendation on your behalf for a specific position/award, I could write a letter indicating that you completed the coursework necessary -- and in satisfactory quality -- to achieve a [grade] in my course.

What I need from you for a strong letter of recommendation...

When requesting a letter of recommendation:

  1. A list of who will be receiving the letters with annotations on why you meet the criteria for the position/award. This can be either specific schools/organizations or a general “grad school in X area,” but in either case, it must be made clear to me that you are a good candidate for the position/award.

As soon as possible:

  1. The deadline when each letter must be received. If you have a personal deadline, you can ask me to try to submit it earlier, but see above about my three-week policy.

  2. Your CV or resume*

  3. A personal statement, cover letter, or a brief description of why you want the job/program/award that you are applying for. Short and long-term goals and motivations are a good start!*

  4. Any specific feedback you received on assignments from your CA or myself. I'd appreciate getting some details on that (copy/paste is fine)*

  5. Any specific points you think I could speak to that the search/award committee might be especially interested in*

  6. The name and pronouns you'd like me to use for the letter.

  7. Highly recommended: we set up a time to meet to talk about your goals, past work, work in my course, motivations, etc. Personal connections make a big difference!


*All of this information helps me paint a stronger, fuller picture of you in my letter of recommendation.


At least 1 week before the deadline:

  1. Specific contact details on who I am sending the letter(s) to. This usually means that you have submitted my contact information to the school/organization and they reach out to me with a submission portal.



Progress Reports

My policies about writing or completing progress reports

Recipient

Depending on the type of progress report you need, I am willing to send that to you directly.

Deadlines

  • I need at least one week’s notice to complete a progress report. This means that you need to ask me AT LEAST one week before a deadline. If there is an ASU holiday or break during those three weeks, please plan for more time.

  • When I agree to write a progress report, I will typically include a date when I plan to complete the progress report and a request that you reach out if I haven't confirmed submission at that point. I kindly ask that you trust I will complete your progress report on time.

  • I am always happy to work ahead on deadlines as much as I'm able! If you know you'll need a progress report from me at some point, you can ask me to start drafting one.

What I need from you for a progress report...

As soon as possible:

  1. The deadline when the report must be received. If you have a personal deadline, you can ask me to try to submit it earlier, but see above about my 1-week policy.

  2. Contact details on who I am sending the report(s) to. This could be you!


Let's meet!

I'd love to sit down and communicate with you over the phone or Zoom (audio or video). We can also use the Zoom chat feature instead of talking. And if you need an interpreter, I'm happy to meet with more than just you!


Even a short 15 minute meeting can really boost my understanding of who you are as a person! You can sign up for one of my regular appointments by clicking HERE. You're also welcome to send my your availability to see what might work for both of us.


I highly recommend setting up meetings with other people who you might ask to be references or to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Do this early! Maintaining a relationship over time is a solid way to help people get to know you on a personal level, which really helps with writing letters.


Notes

I reserve the right to rescind my letter writing at any time.

In rare cases, I have felt unable to write a strong letter of recommendation for someone’s application to a specific school/program/award. The more details you have about what you need a letter for when you request a letter of recommendation, the earlier I will be able to determine my ability to write a strong letter for you.



Contact Information

Sarah Gavac, Ph.D.

Lecturer of Psychology

New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Science

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Arizona State University

Office phone: 202-656-6401

Email: sgavac@asu.edu



New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mailing Address: PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069‐7100

Street/Shipping Address: 4701 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306‐4908

newcollege@asu.edu