Recommendation Letters

Requesting a Letter of Reference

I am happy to provide a reference letter if I have advised you for undergraduate or graduate research or alternatively if you have completed one semester of the VIP class, I teach, “Future Computing with the Rogues Gallery” or “Team Phoenix”. This page lists requirements for requesting a reference letter. Please provide the following with your request via email:

• A weblink to the position for which you are applying.
• The deadline for the reference letter.
• An updated version of your resume or CV.
• Some detail on why you are applying to this position. This is especially important if it is not closely related to what you are working on. As an example, if you ask for a reference to a machine learning position it would be helpful to list other experience that you are basing your application on.

Please keep the following courtesies in mind when requesting recommendation letters:

• Remember that submitting to multiple universities and jobs is fine, but you need to prioritize your requests. Faculty cannot easily submit 10+ letters for each requestor.
• For most students, the amount of interaction we have had will guide the letter content. For example, an UG researcher will have a more formal letter than someone I only interacted with in class.
• It’s fine to provide reminders closer to the date but please keep added email queries to a minimum.