Recommendation Letters
Recommendation Letters
Policy
I am happy to provide letters of recommendations for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs for any opportunity they wish to pursue. Ideally, you are requesting a letter from me because we have worked together on something, but it is not a necessity. It may be worth considering this if you are a current student.
Lead Time
I require at least one month notice to write a letter of recommendation. I plan letter writing activities in advance and have a fixed schedule. I make no guarantee that I can provide you a letter prior to one month following your request. Remember that writing the letter is only one part of the process, I also have to submit the letters, which can take a long time.
Minimum Requirements for Undergraduate Students
You must have earned at least one A grade in a class that you have taken with me.
Barring major extenuating factors, you must have had excellent attendence in all classes that you have taken with me.
I need to have had sufficient contact with you outside of class in office hours.
You can remind me of at least one interaction where you demonstrated through that interaction that you deserve my recommendation. Did you solve a challenging problem that no one else in the class solved? Did you notice an error in an argument that I made and did you correct me? Did you discuss with me some interesting application of work that we were studying that relates to your interests?
Minimum Requirements for Graduate Students
You must have either worked under my supervision as a teaching assistant or primary instructor, attended and participated in my research seminar, or participated in the VITAL Outreach Program.
You engaged me prior to your request in conversations about teaching or research.
I have either observed you give a teaching or research talk.
Developing a Working Relationship
The above requirements are minimum requirements. In general, it will be difficult for me to agree to write you a letter unless we have worked together on a project. It is advisable to plan in advance in order to build a relationship with me so that I can write you an excellent letter.
Ideas for Planning Ahead
Take a research course with me at either the graduate or undergraduate level. This course could be a course on mathematical research or pedagogical research.
Write a paper with me. This could be a mathematical research paper (in which case I would likely be your advisor), an expository paper, or a paper on teaching mathematics. Be sure to plan this ahead as it can take a long time to write a paper.
Participate consistently for at least a quarter in the VITAL Outreach Program.
Be the primary instructor for a course that I coordinate and actively engage with me as you teach the course.
Note that participation in 1-3 is a possibility for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdocs. Option 4 is only available to graduate students and postdocs.
Information
Application Information
Be sure to email me your application materials, such as a CV, personal statement, research statement, teaching statement, grades, or anything else that will allow me to write a letter for you that supports your application.
Information Form
Please carefully fill out this form prior to requesting a letter of recommendation from me. If you find that it is difficult to fill out this form, then it is likely that you should not be requesting a letter of recommendation from me. After filling out this form, please contact me by email to request the letter. If I do not respond immediately to your letter, be sure to email me a reminder in 48 hours. If I do not respond, it is because I did not see your email.