Faculty Recommendations for Jobs or Graduate School
Some members of the department will write
letters for students whom they have not gotten to know, provided
they come in, introduce themselves, and spend some time discussing
their plans. Other members of the department feel comfortable
writing only for students they know personally, and do not wish
to write letters for students whom they did not get to know in
large lecture courses. Some professors prefer not to write letters
unless students have received high grades; others are willing
to write letters for students who have not done distinguished
work. Please consult with individual instructors about
their policies.
Your recommendation is important to you, so you
should spend some time making sure that you have prepared materials
that will
enable you to get the best endorsement possible. It will be helpful
to have the following materials with you when you come to see
a faculty member to discuss a recommendation:
-
Your
transcript,
with grades in the faculty member's courses highlighted.
-
Your
current resume. This should include your academic
activities, work experience at school and during
summers, extracurricular
activities and internships. It should also
include your academic and non-academic awards and
recognition. Make sure it has
your contact information (address, telephone, e-mail).
-
A
personal statement. You should discuss your educational and career plans
and how you decided on them. This statement
should
not be a recapitulation of your resume. It should be personal
in every sense of the word; it should give some insight into
your values, your aspirations, your hopes and even your fears.
You should avoid abstractions and write about yourself and
your experiences. This statement can be a copy of whatever
personal application essay is being asked for by the school(s)
in question.
-
All
forms needed to complete the recommendation. For
pre-law or pre-medical students, this generally involves
a single form
from the pre-professional adviser. For
students applying
to graduate or fellowship programs there are
usually separate forms for each institution. You
can also use the universal
form provided by the Dean of Studies; if you
choose to do this, make sure the recommendations
are returned to the Dean of Studies
office and placed in your file. For
internships and employment recommendations, supply
the name and
address of
the
organization.
Indicate if the faculty member should use
a form or if the
recommendation is to be a letter written
on departmental letterhead.
-
A
list of all schools or organizations to which
the recommendation is to be sent.
Sometimes a faculty member
will write different letters to different schools.
Others may
reserve the right to refuse to write letters for one or more
of the schools on your list, and they will inform you if that
is the case.
-
If
the faculty member is sending your recommendation
directly to the interested party, include
addressed envelopes.
Postage is helpful but not necessary. If the recommendation
is to be returned to the Dean of Studies, it is your
responsibility to instruct that office to send the records
and provide envelopes and postage.
- If your
recommendation must be submitted online, provide clear,
written instructions for the faculty member writing your
recommendation.
-
A
cover letter with
any special instructions and deadlines
for these forms to be completed. Include
your address, telephone
number, and e-mail address.
-
Plan in advance and allow at least several
weeks, if not longer, for a faculty member to write a recommendation.
Most will not be
able to write recommendations
during final-exam week of the semester and the vacation week
that follows. Some will be available during the summer vacation,
but others may not, so you should find out from each faculty
member when he or she will be able to write for you.
-
Do follow
up with each school or employer to determine
if the recommendation has reached its destination.
-
Please
tell the professors who have written for you to which
schools, jobs or internships
you were accepted and (if you
can bear it), from which of these
you were rejected. The information will help
them to guide students who follow in your
footsteps.
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