Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation help graduate programs form a more complete picture of you as an applicant. The most effective letters provide specific positive examples of the skills and experiences that demonstrate your readiness for graduate-level work. 

When appropriate, I will write letters of recommendation for students who worked with me as honors students, research assistants, UGIAs, or other meaningful individual involvement. These letters will reflect the nature of the work that we've done together, your contributions, and your preparation for your target graduate program.

Students with only class experience

Strong letters typically come from meaningful individual interactions beyond the classroom. I suggest that students who have only taken classes with me instead seek letters from someone who can write them a stronger recommendation. For example, PSYC 3 is a challenging course, but it's an introductory-level general education class that's extremely large and mostly online. I probably can't make a clear statement about your preparation for graduate-level work if that's the only way we know each other. 

If you still wish to request a letter from me, understand its limitations: I can only describe the class, your grade, performance on assignments, and participation (if applicable). Especially if you took a large lecture class with me (and particularly if it was an intro-level class), or if you performed well but not superlatively so, my letter may not provide much beyond what's already in your transcript. 

Instructions

Initial request for a letter

In the body of the email:

1. A brief reminder of how we know each other

2. The types of programs you are applying to (discipline and level, e.g., MA/PhD)

3. The anticipated first letter of recommendation due date. I may not be able to accommodate requests sent less than a month before the first due date.

Attached to the email:

1. Your resume or CV

2. A link to a completed copy of this information form (make sure I have permission to view!) that answers all relevant fields.

3. This letter of recommendation release form to allow me to discuss your grades

If I do not respond to your request, send it again. A non-response does not mean refusal, it means I missed your email (if I am refusing I will say so!).

Once I agree to write a letter

• Please send your full list of programs with due dates using this Google Sheets template. Send as a shared Google Sheet (not PDF) so I can copy your information into my list of due dates. If you are applying to multiple program types, make sure that's clearly labeled. If you add new programs that's fine, just let me know.

• Help make the recommendation process efficient with the timely and accurate completion of application portals. Please:

  • Send requests to my ucsd email address and fill out as many fields for me as you can on the application portals (contact info, department, title). See my info here.

  • Enter my information into all application portals as early as you can. This makes it less likely that I'll miss a request, as it allows me to submit multiple letters in one sitting. If I submitted some, but not all, of your letter requests, let me know; the request might be lost in spam.

• It is very unusual for a program to want recommenders to send letters directly to the applicant. If you think a program is asking for me to send a letter directly to you, please forward me those instructions to confirm.