Please read these guidelines very carefully.
Since the instructor has been overwhelmed with letters in the past years (particularly for pharmacy school), there will be a maximum of three letters per student (all together for scholarships, graduate and professional programs). In addition, you will have to completed at least two courses with the instructor and received a "B+"-grade or higher in all courses prior to requesting a letter. So be very selective in your choices where you apply and how you use your letters.
In order to receive a letter of recommendation upon completion of the class, you will need to provide the following information to me:
Basics
Name
Student ID Number
Social Security Number
Email address (active one)
Field of interest
List of courses taken with me (include course number, quarter, year, and grade received)
Resume
Name and Address to be sent to: List all names and addresses separately
Waiver Form (necessary for most professional schools)
General Pointers
If you intend to ask me for a letter of recommendation upon completion of the course, it might be a smart move to attend office hours, seminars, or workshops offered throughout the quarter. This will give me a chance to interact more with you and write a more detailed letter.
Since you waive your rights to read the letter, you will not receive a copy. You must sign any confidentially waivers (including the PAO form if relevant) and submit the copy to me together with your request. I will have to submit the waiver together with the letter that I wrote on your behalf.
Make sure that you are following the specific format of the application. Many schools have specific forms that form the basis for the evaluation. Some schools prefer the letters to be sent together with the rest of the application, others go through the career center. Some programs even have a center of their own (e.g. dental schools, AADSAS or law schools) where the author is asked to mail the reference letter.
Make sure that you allow enough time (minimum of two weeks) to write the letter. There are certain times during the quarter that are very busy for the instructor (first week, and last two weeks usually) due to many administrative duties and additional office hours. During these times, it is highly advisible to request the letter early. Late requests do not demonstrate good organization skills, which will reflect in the letter .
The letter will be printed on paper with departmental letter head and placed in an envelop with departmental address. Hence, do not submit envelopes or paper for the letter with the request. However, it would be nice if you could provide stickers with the address printed on there already.
For letters to be sent off campus, stamps are required! It is not the responsibility of the instructor or the department to provide them. Stamps are not necessary for letters sent by campus mail, for example to the Career Center.