# How to request a letter of recommendation Hello! You probably arrived at this webpage because I emailed you the link when you requested a letter of recommendation from me. I am happy to write letters of recommendation and support students in their efforts to get jobs, internships, graduate school positions, scholarships, awards, and anything else that might need a faculty reference! Your success and professional development are important to me and serving as a reference is therefore an important part of my job. That said, I recieve many requests for letters of recommendation. **I request at least 2 weeks notice to prepare and submit a letter of recommendation.** To help me keep track of the requests and make sure I get everything in on time, please follow the instructions below. ## Step 1: send relevant information by email Once I have agreed to write a letter or serve as a reference, please email me the following information. 1. **The position you are applying for**. Include a website link or document describing the position. 2. **The deadline and format of submission.** Include the date and time the letter is due and the process for submission (e.g. by email or through an online submission portal). If the deadline is during an academic break (e.g. winter break, spring break) it is your responsibility to give me a deadline before the break. For example, if the actual deadline is during spring break, please tell me that the deadline is Friday of finals week. If you are only requesting me to serve as a contact reference (e.g. on your resume) then you do not need to send this information. 3. **The nature and timeline of our relationship**. If you are/were a student in one of my classes, please list the class(es) and quarters. If you are/were a student in my research group, please list the date we started working together and the project(s) you have worked on. I ask this not because I have forgotten, but just because it makes it a lot of easier to reference your email when I am writing the letter so that I can ensure I am not making any errors. 4. **Your most up to date resume or CV.** I will primarily comment on your skills as it pertains to our relationship (class, research, etc), but it is helpful for me to have your resume to highlight things that may be of particular relevance to the position (e.g. relevant coursework). 5. **Anything to highlight in the letter.** Again, I will primarily comment on my observation of your work and skills. However, in some cases there may be something you'd like me to highlight. For example, if the internship you are applying for is in marine ecology, you may ask me to highlight a lab we did in class that is relevant to the position. Please keep these requests brief. I will only use this as a guide. ## Step 2: follow up before the deadline I request that you remind me about the letter 2-3 days before the deadline. I will send you an email confirming that I have submitted your letter. If you did not recieve an email from me, that means I haven't submitted it yet. Keep following up with me until it's submitted. I am not annoyed by this at all - I need the reminders and I really don't want to miss the deadline. ## Step 3: request another letter (if applicable) I know that you are probably applying for multiple internships, jobs, schools, etc. I am happy to write and submit letters for as many positions as needed. You can request additional letters by sending me the information in points 1, 2, and 5 listed above. You do not need to resend your CV or describe our relationship every time. Just send me the relevant information and remember to follow up to make sure I get the letter submitted. Thank you for following these instructions. I wish you all the luck with your applications!