Rec letters are commonly required when applying to graduate programs, scholarships, grants, internships, academic jobs, etc. If you are applying to a non-competitive program (say, where 90% of the people are accepted) and are asked to provide rec letters, the rec letters are likely a formality and the requesting entity may just want to discourage riff-raff from applying. To the extent that you are applying to a competitive place (e.g., a PhD or MD program, an academic job, etc.), the people considering your application will look very carefully at the rec letters, so you should really have good ones. For a competitive program, you do not want a letter like this: "Jane Smith was a student in my class. She seems reasonably smart because she got an average to above-average grade. Besides her grade, I don't know her at all, other than that she wants to go to graduate school."

So, how do you get a good rec letter? Let's look at this backwards. When I sit down to write a rec letter, I think about the following: What kind of impression -- if any -- do I have of this student? How well did they do in my class(es)? Did they stand out in a positive way -- maybe by making good comments or raising good questions? Do they seem nice and respectful? Are they the kind of person who, if they see their professor outside of class, look the other way, pretending not to notice? If so, they're either shy (which might be OK) or immature (not so hot) -- talking with them should tell me which. Or are they the type of mature student who is capable of having a conversation with me? How were they as a research assistant? Did they at least show up on time and perform the minimum duties? Or were they in any way unreliable? Above showing up and doing assigned tasks, did they show any interest in the work -- perhaps pointing out how a study could be improved, or taking the initiative to fix or improve something, or demonstrating an interest in understanding the research that goes on in the lab? Do they seem well-qualified for the program they're applying for? Are they smart? Are they hard-working? Are they motivated? Are they well-prepared? Are they applying for programs that would be a good match for them? Is there anything interesting about them that would be a plus for what they're applying to?

So, to get a good rec letter, you should do things that will lead up to these questions being answered favorably. Generally, such items can be categorized into: academic performance, conscientiousness, commitment, preparation, maturity, and personality.

If you want a rec letter from me, please do the following:

1) Ask yourself if you think I'd write you a decent rec letter, taking into consideration what I've said above. If the answer is yes, then contact me and check with me (preferably as early as possible). Assuming we're good to go...

2) Provide me with your resume and personal statement. Make sure I also have your GPA and any applicable standardized test scores (e.g., GRE). Especially for grad school, these things are important. Your GPA and test scores will help me decide what kind of angle I will take with your rec letter to help you stand out from all the generic rec letters.

3) Gather up all the application materials that I will need (paper forms, envelopes, website links, due dates) and fill out EVERYTHING except for where I answer questions about you and where I sign. My title & school address can be found on this website (you can find it, I know you can). I can spend all my time writing a thoughtful letter and evaluation for you, or I can spend some of it filling out your name, my name, your address, my address, etc. When I get your materials, I will know how you want me to spend my time.

4) As far as I know, I do not have access to secretarial support for rec letters. So, if you want me to mail letters/materials somewhere, prepare and include stamped envelopes with the addresses on them, including whatever return address you want on them. If there are no stamps, they may not go out. With no return addresses, I'll assume you won't mind if they are undeliverable for some reason and the post office discards them.

5) As your deadline approaches (maybe a week before the first letter is due), send me an email to check on the status of the rec letter.

Here is a list of students who I have recommended and I know where they went:

Axel Allen MA, international policy - Monterey Institute of International Studies
Drew Bailey PhD, developmental psychology - University of Missouri
Stephanie Cantu PhD, social psychology - University of Minnesota
Christina Chou MFT - University of Connecticut
Wendy Contreras MA, counseling psychology - University of Texas at San Antonio
David Dubin PhD, industrial/organizational psychology - University of Houston
Brian Dubois Internship, Federal Bureau of Investigations
Jan Dulay MS, physical therapy - Texas Women's University
Rose Halterman PhD, cognitive psychology - University of Iowa
Kaytee Hoverson MNps, masters in non-profit studies - Arizona State University
Colette Laquey MD - University of Texas Medical Branch
Nick Marston MD - University of Minnesota
Paul Miglin PhD, human development and family science - Ohio State University
Julie Offerman JD, Texas Tech University
Derek Pasisz MA, psychology - California State University, Sacramento
PhD, developmental psychology - Florida State University
Lily Patel PhD, social psychology - Northern Illinois University
Jen Pollack PhD, counseling psychology - Texas Tech University
April Smith PhD, clinical psychology - Florida State University
Charles Stricklan MA, counseling psychology - Northern Arizona University
Hayley Stulmaker MA, counseling psychology - Texas Women’s University
Dan Travelle DDS - University of Southern California
Yuriy Ustinov PhD, clinical psychology - University of Alabama
Casey Wolfington PsyD - University of Denver
Jamie Yee OD (optometry) - University of Houston
Adriana Zolezzi MA, counseling - New York University