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FAQs for students

I'd like you to write a letter of recommendation for me for grad school/a summer research opportunity/program X. What information do you need from me?

I'm happy to write letters of recommendation. Note that I'll be able to write a better, more thorough letter for you if you and I have interacted in a significant way: you've done research for me, graded or prefected for me, come to office hours, or distinguished yourself in my courses. Here's what I need from you:

• A brief description of the program(s) you're applying to, along with relevant due dates and submission instructions. Do I need to submit online or on paper? If I'm submitting online, will the program send me an email with the correct link?
• Your resume. I'd like some idea of what you do outside of class, to help me put your interactions with me in context.
• Your unofficial transcript. This is so I can see what else you've been taking at Carleton, and refresh my memory as to what classes you've taken with me.
• If you've done research with me, a brief summary of the project you worked on and what you did (again, to refresh my memory and save me from searching through my research notebooks).

I'd like to do research with you this term/this summer.

Fantastic! I typically advertise research openings in the Carleton Sentinel, as well as on my research web page. I'll typically indicate what sort of skill set I'm looking for, but at a minimum you should have at least taken CS 111 (or its equivalent). If you're interested in an opportunity, send me an email stating what position you're interested in, why you're interested in the position, and briefly listing your qualifications: what CS, math, and psychology courses you've taken, as well as any projects or work you've done in the past that might be relevant. An unofficial transcript is preferable.