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to faculty so it is important that you verify the faculty member has received the email.
Know the policies of the application service. For example, some of these sites will not
email until your application is complete, so if you wait to complete your application to
the last minute, your letter writer may not have enough time to submit your letter.
f. A copy of any form provided by the prospective school, funding organization, or
employer. Be sure to complete any entries that are to be completed by the applicant,
including any section on waiving your right of access to the letter. (If you do not waive
your right of access, the letter will not be taken seriously.)
g. A copy of any essays, personal statements, etc. that you will include in your
application. If a final copy is not available, a draft is better than nothing. This material
will help the letter writer demonstrate that they know you and your plans well.
h. A copy of your transcript if your writer does not have electronic or other easy access
to it.
i. A list of the courses you have taken from the letter writer with the years and
semesters that you took the courses.
j. A copy of your résumé or CV. Highlight any items that you would like the letter writer
to consider mentioning.
k. Any special situation that the letter writer could address better than you. For
example, if you had a bad semester due to a family emergency, a letter writer who
knows you well can address this sort of issue in ways that you may not be able to or
may not wish to in your own application.
Notes:
It is not necessary to provide stamped, addressed envelopes. Faculty will prefer to submit
letters on College letterhead in College envelopes.
If you request multiple letters from the same individual (e.g. to multiple graduate programs),
you need only provide one copy of your résumé and one copy of any essay that will be sent
with multiple applications.
3. How can you ensure that your letters have been submitted on time?
Send a gentle reminder via email that your part of the application has now been submitted,
approximately one week before the letter is due. If you have not heard that the letter has
been sent a couple of days before it is due, check with the faculty member in person to make
sure they have not forgotten about it.
A final general note:
Your application will undoubtedly include a transcript. Therefore, to be informative, your
letters need to go beyond the information available on a transcript. Try to imagine the
situation from the perspective of a letter writer. What might impress them besides your
performance on exams, labs, papers, and talks. A’s and B’s for these assignments are great.
But frankly, lots of people make A’s and B’s, so your letter writer will be thinking about other
ways you stand out in the classroom, laboratory, or even the community. Do you ask
questions during class? Are you inquisitive? Do you ask questions of speakers? Do you
attend voluntary activities or co-curricular activities in your department? Do you appreciate
constructive criticism? Does your interest in subjects go beyond that necessary to make high
grades? Are you helpful in situations that provide opportunities to be so? Do you volunteer
when a volunteer is needed? How do you interact with your peers? Do you appreciate effort
extended on your behalf? Do you respect people’s time? Do you constantly ask for
extensions or special considerations? Are you whiny? Do you express disappointment when,
for example, a lab takes a long time to complete or some problem arises, or do you roll with it