Recommendation Letter Instructions:
Bottom line: You should want me to write you the most thorough, high-quality recommendation letter that I can. You need to set me up for success, so I can write you a specific, clear, and useful recommendation.
Bottom line: You should want me to write you the most thorough, high-quality recommendation letter that I can. You need to set me up for success, so I can write you a specific, clear, and useful recommendation.
- In your initial email message regarding a recommendation, include the following:
- If you send a Canvas message, please include your UTexas email and EID as well so we can move our following correspondence to regular email.
- Note: Your official (i.e. non-gmail, etc.) email is a perk for you. It is always better to correspond via it rather than informal personal addresses. (Of course, do whatever you'd like re: where/how you read your messages, but it is in your interest to have your official email as the sending/reply address.)
- If we haven't been in touch lately, remind me where/when we met.
- Attach your resume. If you took a course with me, remind me when you took it and how you did in the course.
- Tell me the purpose of the recommendation letter. If available, provide a link or other official description as well.
- Tell me the deadline(s).
- Please request your letter at least 2(-ish) weeks before the deadline. If that's not possible, ask anyway, and we'll see if we can figure it out.
- If there is a rolling deadline, tell me when you want me to submit the letter.
- If you send a Canvas message, please include your UTexas email and EID as well so we can move our following correspondence to regular email.
- In addition to your email to me, please schedule a 15 min office hour appointment with me (see landing page of this website for instructions). At that meeting, I'll gather some more details about your career goals, specific examples of your skills that I could put in the letter, etc.
- In our meeting, I'll confirm whether in my view I can write a useful recommendation letter for you for this purpose. (If not, I can help you brainstorm other possible letter writers.) Note: You shouldn't hesitate to ask me for a letter if you're on the fence about it; serving you in this way is an important part of my job. I promise to be honest with you about whether I am a good choice.
- 1-2 weeks before my first deadline:
- The best letters precisely match and build on the documents you provide personally as part of the application process. Therefore, you should be proactive in sending me draft versions of your documents -- personal statements, cover letters, updated resumes, etc. -- and a heads up about who your other letter writers will be (if applicable). Note that I do not need your final versions. However, I do need all the relevant drafts from you in a single email, to help me stay organized.
- If you do not send me rough drafts in a timely manner, I will still write the letter. However, you should know that your choice not to send materials limits my ability to match my letter to your goals. You need to be proactive on this; don't expect me to chase you down for materials.
- List the specific deadline(s) and instructions on where and how I will submit my anonymous letters (often, you'll sign up on a portal somewhere and I'll get a separate email from them).
- Note: I will not allow you to read my letter. This is in your best interest as well -- non-blind letters are judged differently and therefore are not as useful to you. If for some reason I cannot write a blinded letter, make that clear to me up front.
- The best letters precisely match and build on the documents you provide personally as part of the application process. Therefore, you should be proactive in sending me draft versions of your documents -- personal statements, cover letters, updated resumes, etc. -- and a heads up about who your other letter writers will be (if applicable). Note that I do not need your final versions. However, I do need all the relevant drafts from you in a single email, to help me stay organized.
