2-WEEK NOTICE

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

I am always open to discussing the possibility of writing you a letter of recommendation. Below are my rules when it comes to providing letters. Other persons will have different policies, so it's important to reach out to ask them.

Before considering, students should:

• complete at least one entire course with me as their professor

• send me a professional email requesting a letter of recommendation

• be prepared to set up a meeting with me so I can get to know you better and evaluate whether I can write a strong positive letter​

• know that I do not share my letter of recommendation with you after I complete it​

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Writing a "Strong and Positive" Letter of Recommendation:

• My recommendation is always to ask someone if they can write a positive letter of recommendation on your behalf for the position

• My confidence in writing a positive letter depends on what I am writing for, your performance in my course(s), and our interactions​​

• 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)

What I Need from You If I Agree to Write a Letter of Recommendation:

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 2-week notice policy

2. A list of who will be receiving the letters with annotations on why you meet the criteria for the position/award. It must be made clear to me that you are a good candidate for the position/award

3. Your résumé or Curriculum Vitae

4. A personal statement, cover letter, and/or a brief description of why you want the job/program/award for which you are applying. It helps me to personalize your letter​

5. Any specific and interesting points that you think I could speak to that would be important to the letter readers

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