Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation

I am happy to write letters of recommendation for current and former students. However, if we have only had limited interactions, chances are that you will get a better letter of recommendation from someone you have worked more closely with. If you have worked more closely with other faculty members, I would encourage you to seek a letter from them first.

If you would like me to write a letter for you, I need you to send me whatever application documents you think I need to see, a CV or resume, instructions for how to send each letter (including addresses if necessary), a list of deadlines, and a confidential memo telling me anything you would like me to know as I write your letter. This memo should include a list of standard items (i.e., when I first met you and in what capacity, grades and awards earned, etc) as well as a more personalized list reminding me of the interactions we've had and the impressive things you've done while I've known you. The more detail you put in this memo, the more I'm likely I am to remember everything I ought to when I sit down to write your letter. All of these items should be sent as attachments to a single email. Please do this for every letter (or batch of letters) you request from me. It may seem a bit silly, but you really want me to have the latest information about you all in one place, at my fingertips

Job market

If you want me to write a letter for the academic job market, please send me your complete application (cover letter, CV, research and teaching statements, and writing) at least a month before the first application is due. The market seems to have settled on September 1st as the earliest reasonable deadline, so to be safe, you probably want to request a letter from me by August 1st.

Everything else

As much lead time as you can provide would be appreciated. I generally need a month if I have not written a letter for you before, or two weeks if I have. Don't hesitate to send me a reminder by email shortly before the deadline.