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Questions from Students Requesting Lettters of Reference
Where do I send requests for letters of reference?
Please first read the questions below to determine whether I will
provide a reference, and what such a reference might look like. To
ensure that requests are seen by me and my project assistant, and will
be properly filed, tracked, and responded to, all requests for letters
of reference should be sent to:
The address above is also the address that should be provided to
departments so that they may request references directly. Requests
sent to my primary mail address may be filtered by my spam filters or
otherwise lost among the flood of email I receive.
I was a student of your in your Advanced Operating Systems or
Security Systems Class. Can I list you as a reference when I apply
for a job?
If you are applying for a job and wish to list me as a reference, and
if you achieved a grade of A- or above in my class AND an A- or above
on the research paper in my class, then you may list me as a reference
if you first send a message to the e-mail address above telling me the
name of the companie(s) your are providing my name, your grades for my
class (including the grades on each assignment, the paper, and the
midterm and final exams and the title of your research paper) and
provide me with permission to speak with them about your performance.
If contacted, my comments will be that you performed above average in
my class (if you received an A-) or that you performed very well in my
class (if you received an A). If asked, I will tell them that you
demonstrated above average or very good research ability through your
performance on the paper and I will tell them the subject of your
paper. I will be unable to answer any questions about specific
strengths or weaknesses, both because my interactions with you were
limited, and also to avoid any potential libaility given recent
changes to California law regarding employment references.
I was a student of your in your Advanced Operating Systems or
Security Systems class. Can you provide me with a letter of reference
for my application to graduate programs?
I am asked for reference by many students in part because so many
students take the classes I teach would like to list my name as one of
their references. If my only contact with you was as your instructor
for the classes I teach, I am willing to provide a letter of reference
if you achieved an A- or higher in the class and an A- or higher on
the research paper in my class. Please be aware however, that because
my contact with you is limited, my letter will be "boiler plate" (see
sample below) and you are strongly advised that at least one of your
letter writers should be from someone with which you had a closer
working relationship. Please follow the instructions below to request
a letter of reference.
Please note that many departments are now asking evaluators to fill
out paper or web forms that are specific to their own application
process. These forms usually differ from university to univerisity.
Because I am asked to provide so many references, I am not willing to
fill out such custom forms. Once my letter and review has been
written, for any new requests, if the new questions can not be
completed by my project assistant, such custom quetions will not be
answered.
To request a letter please send a message to my project assistant at the
e-mail address listed at the top of this page, requesting the letter
and including all pertinent details including your name and address
and the address of the intended recipient of the letter, the semester
you took my class, your course grade and the individual grades on all
assignments, and the title of your research paper. If you are asked
to provide my e-mail address to the departments that are to receive
the letter, use the address at the top of this page. Do not provide
my primary e-mail address, as their requests for a letter may be
blocked by my spam filters.
The letter I will write will likely look somethig like:
:
I am writing this letter in support of 's application for
admission to your Ph.D. program in Computer Science . I have known since he took the [Advanced
Operating Systems course (CSci555), the Computer Security Systems
course (CSci530) from me during the Fall Semester of . In my
course demonstrated
A-) above average
A-) consistently above average (if all components of grade match)
A ) exceptional
understanding of the course materiel.
During my class students are required to write a research paper on a
topic related to computer operating systems. wrote a
paper on , and demonstrated
A ) strong research ability.
A-) research ability.
I urge you to consider request for admission favorably.
Sincerely,
Dr. Clifford Neuman
I completed directed research from you.
Can you provide me with a letter of reference for my application
to graduate programs, or may I use you as a reference when applying
for jobs?
If you performed well in your directed research then please follow the
instructions above for students taking classes from me, but include
also a three sentence description of your directed research topic. I
will include a discussion of your research in my letter or mention the
topic to the interviewer if I am called.
I was a research or teaching assistant of yours or you served on
my dissertation committee.
Can you provide me with a letter of reference for my application
to graduate programs, or may I use you as a reference when applying
for jobs?
Please contact me directly to discuss your requirements.
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