Letters of Recommendation and Graduate School Applications

Letters of recommendation are just like any other paper: the more specific they are, and the more time there is to revise and fine-tune them, the better they turn out. The following are suggestions to help me write the best possible letter for you.

All Letters of Recommendation

What I Need

Basic Information

Please provide as much information as possible about the award, scholarship, job or graduate program you are seeking. Together with the information in the item below, this will help me describe why you are the right person for that award, scholarship, job or program.

General Background

I will be familiar with your work in my classes but will probably not have much knowledge of your other majors, areas of academic interest, extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs, volunteer work, summer jobs or other activities. Please supply me with as much information of this type as possible. Such specifics allow me the opportunity to give concrete examples supporting my statements about you. You should also provide any essays or "statements of purpose" associated with your application. Unofficial transcripts, resumes and completed application forms could also be useful.

Time Constraints

Since the quality of my writing is directly proportional to the number of times I revise, and since the number of revisions possible is a function of how much time I have, and since most requests for letters occur simultaneously, it is important that you give me sufficient lead time to write your letter. As a general rule, two weeks seems to be sufficient only for one cursory revision.

Other Data

Please make it clear what you wish me to do with the letter once I am finished. If I am to mail it, it will be sent in a UPS envelope and the department will pay the postage. If I am to return it to you, I will seal it in an envelope and have you pick it up.

Graduate School Applications

Chances are that you are applying to a number of graduate schools. Most, but not all, of these have a specific form they wish completed. Some schools want the letter to be sent directly to them while others want you to send it along with your application. The following should help to prevent any confusion associated with this variety of directions.

Please provide as much information as possible about the award, scholarship, job or graduate program you are seeking. Together with the information in the item below, this will help me describe why you are the right person for that award, scholarship, job or program.

I will write a letter about your work at UPS and your potential for graduate study. Please follow the suggestions on the other side of this sheet when providing me with the needed information. It is particularly important that you ask me to write this letter well in advance of your first deadline.

For each school to which you are applying, please give the Mathematics Department secretary the following:

1. Any forms that need to be filled out.
2. A clearly marked COPY of each form.
3. Clear instructions on the deadline and if the materials are to be sent directly or returned to you.

The secretary will give me the COPY of the form which I will fill out by hand. She will then type my entries onto the actual form (making it look professional), attach a copy of my letter and either mail the result in a UPS envelope or hold the materials for you.

Thank you for your help and good luck with your application.

Home