Letters of Recommendation

Writing letters of recommendation is a new important responsibility for me. When requesting a letter of recommendation from me, please keep in mind that I am new to this and that it is in your best interest to make my job as easy as possible.

Procedure for requesting a letter

  1. Send me an email to request a letter at least 5 weeks in advance of your first deadline.
  2. I will ask you to meet either in person or over phone, to discuss if I am a good choice for you. If you have not taken and completed at least one class with me, or a reading seminar or summer research, I am not a good choice for you. In general, if I feel that I am not able to write a strong letter, I will tell you as much.
  3. If I agree to write a letter, please send all supporting documents and a list of programs you will apply to with deadlines 4 weeks before the deadline.

Required documents In a single PDF file, please send me the following documents:

  1. CV
  2. Undergraduate Students: transcript
  3. List of your mathematics classes with short description
  4. Research statement
and answers to the following questions:
  1. What is your name and preferred personal pronoun?
  2. In what capacity and for how long have we known each other?
  3. Are there highlights on your CV that I should pay special attention to?
  4. Are there non-standard circumstances I should be aware of in reading your file?
  5. If you are applying to graduate school, do you have an area of mathematics that you are especially interested in?
  6. If you are applying for an industry job, what aspects of your being should I be address in this letter?

If your letter has not been submitted within 24 hours of a deadline, please send me a reminder. However try not put me in a situation where being away from email for a day will make me miss a deadline.