Request a letter of recommendation

Why letters are bad:
  1. They are biased. People write them. People have biases.
  2. There is no accountability (i.e. they may not actually answer the question "is this person the right fit for this job"?)
  3. Students with more social capital (i.e. privilege) are more likely to get letters and are more likely to get better letters.

Why I want to write you a good letter anyway: 
  • because I care
  • because even though the system is broken, we are still operating within it

I'm going to do my best to resolve the three issues I raised above about letters:
  1. I can't promise I am not biased. I have lots of biases, and I try to observe them and overcome them, but I am not perfect. But I can promise you that I will treat you with the same respect and compassion and good intentions that you've experienced from me before in your interactions with me.
  2. I ask for lots of details from you -- including about your goals, skills, and interests -- so that my letter can be helpful, and not just a form letter that everyone gets saying "this student is smart and hard working"
  3. I have put all this information out here, and put this form together, in order to make the process as streamlined, equitable, and low-anxiety as possible for you, no matter your background. If I'm not succeeding with that, please let me know (and you can do so anonymously).
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Am I the right recommender for you?

This is a hard question to answer, but it's worth thinking about it.
  • Have we had conversations to discuss your goals, skills, and work, whether in the classroom or outside of it?
  • Is this a recommendation for a competitive fellowship or program? If so, you want a recommender who knows you really well, preferably someone you have worked with over the course of at least one year, maybe more like two, and in more than one capacity (class/research/service activities). 
  • If you're not sure you can answer these questions, schedule a meeting with me to talk about it. I'm always happy to talk!

What I need from you (and why I need it):

I need from you:
  • to fill out a form for each recommendation you need. In that form, I need you to tell me the due date (if there is one), what the opportunity is and why it's a good fit, how I will be providing the recommendation, etc.
  • to give me at least three weeks' notice so I can make time in my schedule to write your letter
Why I need it:
  • I write many letters of recommendation. In previous years I have averaged around 35-50 individual letters for 6-8 people.
  • These letters often are due all around the same time, which is often also during busy times of the year for me for other reasons. This means the only way I'll be able to write good letters in a timely fashion is by planning ahead and managing my time very carefully. I can't do that if letter requests are coming in at the last minute or without much information to help me like details of the opportunity, deadlines, etc.
This may feel like extra work for you, and it is, but it will result in a better letter from me in the long run.

Fill out the form below for each opportunity you need a reference for: