Once your professor has agreed to write a letter, download and complete the Request for Faculty Recommendation Form, or write a cover letter that explains exactly what the letter is for, where it is to be sent, and what the deadline is. (Remember to include your telephone number and email address in case your professor has any questions.)
•Attach the following to the form or cover letter (please note, specific documentation may vary among the faculty, best to ask what each wants):
◦Any forms that must accompany the letter. You should complete as much as possible on your own.
◦Any brochures or handouts that describe the program, position, or award.
◦A résumé that includes your educational and employment background, and a copy of your Educational Development Record (EDR).
◦A statement reminding your professor of all the supportive things he or she could say about you. In what ways have you exceeded academic expectations? What relevant extra-curricular projects are you involved in? What specific examples can your professor cite?
◦A statement of purpose, if you are applying for a program or position, explaining why you should be chosen and what you hope to accomplish.
◦A sample of your best work, preferably work that the professor has commented on before.
◦A stamp (faculty prefer to use envelopes with college letterhead).
In general, most of us want the following:
1) Your resume, and an EDR or unofficial transcript or list of courses taken at Knox (with faculty listed, that would be great—especially in the English Department), We need to be reminded of the work we did together and what you did while here that we might highlight specifically.
2) A copy of your statement of purpose.
3) A copy of whatever writing sample they ask you for (if this is different for different schools, note so in a list or letter somewhere so we don't refer to a story that half of the places don't have).
4) Any forms required by the graduate programs, if any. Please waive your right to the confidential letter. Schools look down upon non-confidential recommendations.
5) A list of addresses and deadlines. If you are feeling really ambitious, mailing labels would be great too! (We write a lot of envelopes and our poor hands get tired.) Increasingly, many programs require online letters, which is fine by most of us, but we still need everything in order. As well, if you are applying to different programs or different degrees, you should let us know here—for instance, if one is an MA, another an MFA in Fiction, another an PhD in Literature with Creative Dissertation—and also clarify what genre you are applying in, if the writing sample doesn't make that clear.
6) Your contact information (should we have a question or need to send something back to you). If you are traveling during the holidays, we’ll also need alternate information as many of are at work on these letters while you all are celebrating the festive months.
7) Enough stamps for the envelopes. Even if online, some of us still send a hardcopy. If you send envelopes, do not attach the stamp; most of us will use Knox stationary and it kills us to have to waste the postage.
8) Unless physically impossible, all of this should be received in hardcopy no later than six weeks prior to your first deadline. We can't get these things piecemeal. Make a folder with everything in order for all the schools. Most of us spend most of December doing this, even if you have later deadlines.
Don’t forget, too, to keep us updated as news comes in. We worry so. And, gosh, a thank you note might be nice. Or a donation to Knox College’s Department of English, in our honor. A small token. We’ll remember.
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