Requesting Recommendation Letters

I receive many requests each semester for letters of recommendation. Please follow the instructions below to help me write a good letter and ensure that I can meet any deadlines.

  • Fill in the Stony Brook / FERPA form (see sidebar) to authorize release of information in the letter and hand it to me.
  • E-mail me your current CV/resume and a paragraph describing your interests and career goals, and anything else I should know to help write a good letter.
  • Remind me what classes you took with me (and what semester).
  • Create a google docs spreadsheet with columns for:
    • program name
    • institution
    • URL
    • instructions on how I send the letter
    • reason you are interested in the program
    • due date
    • status
    The last column is for me to use to indicate if I've sent the letter. Please sort these in order of due date (most urgent at the top of the list). Be sure to share the doc with me and grant me write access.

Please request letters no later than 3 weeks before the first due date