Information for students seeking recommendation letters

This webpage provides information for undergraduate and Masters students seeking a recommendation letter from J. White.

The purpose of this information is (1) to help you get the best recommendation letter possible, and (2) to help ensure that your letters are submitted in a timely manner.

1. Am I the right person to ask for a recommendation letter?

The first question to ask is whether I am the best person to ask for a recommendation letter. While in principle I am usually happy to write a letter for students, my ability to write a good letter is limited by the extent to which I know you and your work. If you have only been a student in one of my classes (especially a large class) and we have not had much one-on-one interaction, I am usually limited to providing generic information, such as the marks that you achieved. On the other hand, if you have worked on research or an independent project with me, I can provide a more personalised letter about your abilities. While a generic letter might be helpful for you application, personalised letters make much better recommendation letters in general. To give you an idea, here are some factors that can enhance my ability to write a good letter for you (ordered from strongest to weakest):

1. You have worked with me directly on research in a capacity that involves regular meetings, e.g. as part of the Research Apprenticeship module.


2. I have been your supervisor for a major piece of work (e.g. BA long essay or MA dissertation).


3. You have been a student in one of my modules that involves a large of amount of personalised interaction and significant pieces of writing (e.g. Experimental Phonology).


4. You have been a student in one of my larger modules that involves a written assessment component; if you contributed to class discussion and/or met with me outside of class, then I will likely have more to say.


5. I am your personal tutor, and we have had regular interactions about your progress.

If none of these are true, then I am probably not a good person to write a letter for you (as I will just be limited to stating basic facts, like the marks on your transcript).

2. What will I say in my letter?

If I have limited or no experience interacting with you on an individual level, then I will usually only be able to provide basic facts (e.g. the marks you received or comments I wrote on your written work).

3. Process for requesting a recommendation letter

Step 1: Determine whether I am the best person to ask for a letter (see above).

Step 2: Email me to ask whether I am willing to write a recommendation letter for you. Note that you should give me a two week notice at minimum or I am much more likely to say 'no'. Letters take a fair amount of time to write and submit, so when I agree to write a letter, I have to work it into my schedule; this is more difficult on short notice. (You should ideally aim for a one month notice for recommendation letters.)

Step 3: Assuming I say 'yes', send me the following information in a single email:

• The full list of schools/programmes where you are applying. For each, include the name of the university and the name of the degree programme, the method of submission (usually an electronic submission these days), and the deadline.
• A reminder of all the ways that I know you (i.e. to remind me of all of the things I can include in your letter), such as modules that you took with me, assignments or written work that you completed, etc.
• Representative documents that will be part of your applications, such as your CV and a sample personal statement. (This helps me write a more personalised letter.)

Step 4: When you add my name as a reference on your application, go ahead and fill in my details, such as my name, title, position, address, phone, and email. This information can be found in my email signature and/or on my webpage.

Step 5: If you have not heard from me by one week before the first deadline, then send me a reminder by email. Send me another reminder two days before the first deadline if you have still not heard from me.

4. Why do I ask for everything to be included in one email?

Staff members get asked to submit dozens of recommendation letters each year. To ensure that none get missed and that all of them are submitted in a timely manner, I like to have all of the information for each student in one email. I will then plan a time (before the first deadline) to submit all of your letters at the same time.

This requires you to do a bit of planning ahead to decide which programmes you will apply to in advance, and to prepare the application materials earlier. However, this will ensure that your letters all get submitted in a timely manner (and the advanced planning will likely help you in terms of putting together strong applications anyway).

5. Will I give you the recommendation letter for you to include in your application?

In general, no, I do not give students copies of their recommendation letter. The reason is that recommendation letters carry much more weight if they are not seen by the person being recommended (meaning the recipient will have greater confidence that the letter represents my honest opinion of the candidate). Most applications have an option for the recommender to upload a letter privately or to send a letter (by email or snail mail) directly to the recipient. If so, I will always choose that option. If the only option is for you to provide a hard copy of the letter with your application, then I can provide you with a letter in a sealed envelope, addressed to the recipient, with my name signed across the back flap of the envelope.

If you have any questions not covered here, please feel free to send me an email.