II. Interacting With Students

Writing Letters of Recommendation

Early in your career, you may be surprised the first time a student asks you to write a letter of recommendation (it seems just yesterday that you were asking for letters). Be assured, however, that your academic career has prepared you for this task. A letter of recommendation is basically a short essay, complete with thesis and supporting evidence; you can prepare and write it much as you would construct any paper in which you persuade your reader toward a stated position. Here are some tips:

• Clarify the assignment. Ask the student for detailed information about the desired position or academic program, as well as for a stamped, addressed envelope. If possible, read the application form to learn exactly how the request for recommendations is worded and when it is due. Some program guidelines request information about the applicant's character; others emphasize the applicant's academic performance. If you are unfamiliar with the letter format, ask colleagues for anonymous copies of their letters or stop by the TRC for a sample or for additional "how-to" guides. Follow the recommended length; if none, normally limit yourself to no more than one or one-and-a-half single-spaced pages.
  
  
• Research the "topic" thoroughly by asking the student for all relevant academic records, copies of successful papers, and lists of honors, internships, volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, and career goals. You want to hear anything that will help you know the student or remind you about your previous relationship. Interview any student you don't know well, paying special attention to social skills and personality. Be sure to ask for suggestions about what to include in the letter; the answer will give you more insights and may focus the letter for you. If necessary, ask colleagues about their experiences with the student.
  
  
• Formulate a thesis and support it with specific examples: for example, "Sharon's thirst for knowledge will make her a coveted prospective graduate student for your department. I once found her working in the lab after midnight; she said that she'd been about to fall asleep when she'd come up with a hypothesis she just had to test."
  
  
• Interpret objective data. Not all 3.8 GPAs are equivalent. Some students make these grades in honors' courses, others by stacking their schedules with easier courses. Comment on the student's academic career.
  
  
• Be precise in your interpretation: "Phil was fifth in a class of 103" tells the recipient much more than, "Phil is an excellent student."
  
  
• Go beyond the objective data. Letter recipients probably already have objective measures of the student's capabilities and look to you for the subjective, anecdotal information not reflected in a transcript. In particular, they seek an evaluation of the student's personal virtues: Is the student organized, trustworthy, persistent, thorough? Particularly gifted in social skills, written or oral communication, or analytical thinking?
  Mature, with the sense of humor necessary for the job? Some positions require particular personal qualities; thus some recipients scan letters for these. Make your
  student memorable to the reader: lots of students make the dean's list, fewer defend their English honor's thesis from the perspective of Milton.
  
  
• If you have a particular respect or even fondness for the student, express this: for example, "I think back to the day Charlotte begged me to let her into my overcrowded class-I'd do it in an instant now," or "James tries to learn something from everyone, even from those with whom he disagrees. In this way I would like to be more like him."
  
  
• Note reasons for discrepancies in the student's performance if they arise from extenuating circumstances (e.g., a prolonged illness, a death in the family).
  
  
  

• Approach a letter of recommendation with the same standard of honesty that you would insist on for a published paper. Of course, this means that for some students you don't feel you can say much. So don't. Politely and honestly refuse as soon as you have decided, suggesting that the student make the request of someone else. Say, "I'm sorry, I don't feel as though I can write a letter that would facilitate your acceptance." It is unfair and unethical to agree to write a positive letter and then write a negative one.
  
  
• Keep a copy of your letter. If you keep the letter on a word processor, you can rapidly update it should the student need a new letter.
  
  
• Meet the necessary deadline and let the student know when the letter has been sent. If you cannot or find that you have forgotten to do so, notify both the student and the recipient of the letter. Normally, admission committees and future employers are sympathetic when contacted by the recommender.
  
  

I think we don't really teach students; we create opportunities for them to learn.

— Robert Vickery, Architecture