Letters of Recommendation

If you would like to ask me for a letter of recommendation, I am flattered. In most cases, if you put a significant amount of effort into my class, I would be happy to write one for you.

Note, however, that if you haven't been my student (or a member of the Science Team) for at least a full school year, you should try to get a letter of recommendation from one of your teachers from junior year. A letter of recommendation from a teacher who had you for only part of a school year is automatically much weaker than a letter from a teacher who has known you for longer, even if the other teacher's letter is not as strong.

The first thing you should do is send me an email asking me to write you a recommendation. If I accept, there are three things that I will ask you to do:

1. Fill out my Letter of Recommendation Request Form. You need to do this even if you give me the form from guidance.
   
   
2. Add me as a recommender in Naviance.
   
   
3. Make an appointment with me for a one-on-one meeting after school (or some time during the school day if we can make it work) to discuss your letter. In our meeting, we will focus on:
   • What things do you want college admissions officers to know about you?
   • What are some stories about you that illustrate those things? (Ideally stories from my class, if you have some.)