| If you do, then I
need some things from you:
-
I need
to you ask - politely, and in writing - for me to write a letter
for you. If I do not feel that I can write you a strong letter of
recommendation, I reserve the right to say no.
-
I need
you to make your request for a letter at least one month in advance of
the deadline by which you need the letter. If you do not give me
that much lead time, I cannot guarantee that I will have time to write
an effective letter on your behalf, and I may need to deny your request.
-
I need
you to provide me with all necessary relevant background about you and
about the position that you seek that requires my recommendation,
including but not limited to:
-
The
exact date by which the letter must be received.
-
The
correct contact information for the person to whom the letter should
be addressed.
-
Any
standardized recommendation form, if one is available.
-
A
description of the position/scholarship for which you are applying,
why you want this position/scholarship, and why you think that are
particularly suited for this position/scholarship.
-
A
description of what you believe are your academic
strengths/weaknesses, your personal strengths/weaknesses, and your
plans for the future, making connections between those plans and the
position/scholarship for which you apply.
-
A
current resume or curriculum vitae, which lists all of your academic
accomplishments, relevant work history, community service activities,
involvement in extra-curricular groups at NKU, etc.
-
A
sample of your best work from the class(es) that you took with me.
If you took more than one class, be sure to give me sample work from
all of them.
-
Any
specific aspects of your personality, qualifications, etc., that you
would like my letter for you particularly to address.
-
I need
you to send me an email reminder two weeks before the recommendation
deadline.
-
If you
do not hear back from me within one week of the deadline, you should
both send me an email and try to catch me during my office hours to be
sure that I've written the letter and sent it.
Also,
some things to consider before you ask for a recommendation:
-
Did you
really do your best work for me? If you don't believe that you
did, do you really think that I will be able to recommend you
effectively? If you have any question about whether you will get
the strongest possible recommendation, you may want to consider whether
other professors might be able to recommend you more strongly.
-
Do I
know your work well enough to write a specific, glowing letter on your
behalf? If I don't, then is there another professor who might be
able to advocate for you more strongly?
Following these pointers when asking any faculty member for a letter
should prove useful, but if you want a letter from me, well, it is
essential that you do so. I want to write the best possible letter
for you - you've got to give me the tools to do that! |