Many students ask me for letters of recommendation for graduate school, study abroad programs, internships, and scholarship opportunities. I’m happy to do this and I enjoy writing letters for excellent students. As my students might assume, "excellent" comes in many shapes and forms. An excellent student is rarely one who just earns good grades. Additionally, preparing a good reference letter takes time, thought, and preparation.
THINGS I WILL NEED
Here is what I will need to prepare an effective reference letter or form:
- Advanced notice (Preferably at least 2 weeks notice)
- If necessary, a face-to-face or virtual meeting to discuss your application.
- Schedule an reference request through Dr. Wallace's Calendly website.
WHY DO STUDENTS NEED A RESERVATION FOR A REFERENCE REQUEST?
- Time is one of our most precious non-renewable resources
- Prevents Dr. Wallace from unintentionally overcommitting herself to other activities when she has already agreed to support student reference needs
- Provides a predictable and expected feedback timeline for students
- Improves efficiency since it cuts down on back-and-forth emails (e.g., Are you done? Did I? Didn’t I?)
- Gives students a safety net to help ensure you have Dr. Wallace’s full attention to complete your reference needs