How to Obtain a Strong Reference Letter (From Me)
I get many requests from undergraduate students for a
reference letter to accompany their application for a job, scholarship,
graduate school, etc. Each such letter typically requires at least 1-2
hours to write and so I cannot possibly say "yes" to every request.
Nevertheless, one of the most rewarding apects of my job is
interacting with keen and bright students, and helping them to
succeed in their academic and career aspirations.
With this in mind, I will be happy to write a letter for you but
only if I believe that letter will actually help you with your
application, which normally means that:
- you should have obtained at least a B+ grade in a class that I
taught you,
AND EITHER
- I know you personally (by name) from participating in my
lectures or through conversations outside of class,
OR
- you have worked closely with me on a research project,
undergraduate thesis, summer internship, etc.
Otherwise, my letter can only provide your grade and very vague comments
about you
. . . and I can confidently say from my own experience evaluating
applications and reference letters that such a short and non-specific
letter will be of virtually no benefit to you, no matter how high
your grades might be. This is especially important when it comes to
recommendation letters for graduate school!!
To better understand what I'm saying,
you should read and compare the following two letters:
Letter A
Letter B
What are the differences? I think you'll see that:
- A high grade by itself doesn't actually mean very much.
- It's what your prof knows about you, your abilities, or your
extra-curricular activities that can have a much bigger impact in a letter.
- After a long period of time having no contact with your letter-writer,
you can't expect them to remember clearly any details about you.
- Letter A is vague and boring and will have virtually no
impact on the reader's opinion of you. But Letter B has some
chance of getting you the position you desire!
In order to maximize your chances of obtaining a strongly supportive
letter from me (or any other prof for that matter), you should take
preparatory steps long before you actually need it . . . and I mean
months or even years in advance. Here are a few things to consider:
- Think ahead. Cultivate your references: Start planning for
your reference letters early on in your studies.
As you take courses and meet your profs, think about who you
would most like to write a reference for you.
- Stand out from the crowd: Ask questions both in and out of class.
Impress your instructors with what you know and how you think.
Aim to perform well in class but (just as important) demonstrate your
desire and ability to learn!
- Get to know your profs: Visit their office hours. Introduce
yourself by name and make sure they know who you are. Share your
mathematical (or other subject-based) interests and your
career or academic aspirations.
That's all preparatory work. Once you plan to submit an application and
the deadline is approaching, this is what you should do when you ask me
(or anyone else) for a reference:
- Give advance warning: Don't leave your letter request to the
last minute. Give me at least a few weeks of lead time.
- Provide supporting information: Send me your CV/resumé,
transcript, and other materials that you will submit along with your
application. Include the job ad or some other description of the
position you are seeking. Be sure to remind me of any deadlines.
- Tell me about YOU: Make sure I know why you are applying,
what your career goals are, and anything specific that you would like me to
include in my letter.
- Be grateful. And stay in touch: Thank me in person or at
least in a brief note. Follow up by letting me know whether or not
your application was successful. Stay in touch, since you never
know when you might want to ask me for another letter.
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Last modified: Wed Jan 24 2024
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