What to do if you want me to write you a letter of recommendation

If you want me to write you a letter of recommendation, there are four things you must do.

1. Send me an email (hannah.sevian@umb.edu) requesting the letter of recommendation, and tell me the deadline by which you need me to send the letter. Tell me who your lab professor and discussion professor are so that I can contact them and also incorporate what good things they have to say about you in the letter of recommendation.
2. Provide me with the recommendation cover page filled out by you (if needed) and an envelope that you have addressed to the place where I need to send the letter. Place appropriate postage on the envelope.
3. Provide me with copies of essays you have written for your application, your transcripts, and any other material that will help me to know more about you as a student and as an applicant for the program you are applying for. This way I can say more in the letter than simply, "Student X was in my chemistry course and received a grade of Y."
4. Provide me with a draft of the letter of recommendation you would like me to write. I will begin with your draft and then modify it. The point of you writing a draft is so that I can understand what qualities you believe you have that would recommend you for the program you are applying for. Here is an example (this is a Word document, right-click to save):
   • Recommendation draft example
   Important: Send this draft to me either as a Word document attached to an email, or as text pasted directly into an email. I will not accept drafts on paper.

I will write the letter only after I have received all four things from you.