Kevin Alarcón Negy
Cornell University
Computer Science PhD student
Expected graduation: 2024
Contact Information:
Email: kevinnegy@cs.cornell.edu
Address: Office 407 Bill & Melinda Gates Hall
(107 Hoy Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853)
Guide to the PhD Application Process
Letters of Recommendation
Who should I ask for letters of recommendation?
• Research professors must have PhDs and the professor you ask should ideally have worked closely with you in a research setting. It is also ok to have graduate students who have worked closely with you write letters, as long as the PhD adviser is the one signing off on the letter. Letters from research professors should speak to your capability to do research and your readiness for graduate school. Ideally, all your letters come from research professors, especially professors well-respected in your field.
• Research industry PhDs can attest to your skills and experiences from internships. This is okay if they are research related and not the majority of your recommendations.
• Non-research faculty or managers are not a great idea. These fall under the "did well in class" letters that say nothing about your potential for research. This is a last resort letter. No one should have more than one of these, if any, and this letter should be very detailed about other facets of your qualifications that make you a unique applicant (volunteer work, leadership, etc.).
• Do not ask anyone else for letters.
When should I ask for letters?
At the latest, ask a month before your earliest application deadline. However, I would advise asking two to three months in advance. This gives you breathing room to find a replacement if anyone declines to write a letter. You also will be asking professors early in the fall semester when they may be more amenable to providing you a letter. As long as you can get writers to agree informally, you can confidently return later with your application materials for the formal request.
How should I ask?
No matter how you ask, all advisers will tell you to use the phrase "strong letter of recommendation" in your request. You are asking for a strong letter from writers, not a lukewarm one.
Personally, I would initially ask face-to-face. You can do this about two to three months before the deadline to get an initial reaction. You can meet with potential writers, discuss your plans to apply, then ask if they would be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation. Once they say yes, then you can agree on how to give them your application materials (email or physical copies).
Is it ok to ask for a letter to be modified?
Under extreme circumstances, it is okay to ask for a letter to be modified. Many, if not most, professors will not allow you to see their letter of recommendation—in which case, there is usually no reason to ask for a modification. However, if you can see the letter and feel it is lacking in substance, enthusiasm, or has incorrect information, you may tactfully and politely ask for the letter to be modified. Do this immediately before they submit letters to your applications. See How to Email Professors for help on how to write email requests to professors.
Help! My letter writers haven't submitted yet!
Despite asking months in advance, many professors will wait till close to the deadline to submit letters, some even waiting till the last hour. My best suggestion is to remind writers (in person if possible) several days in advance of the deadline. If it is the day of the deadline and your writers have not responded to previous reminders, I think it's acceptable to send a reminder every two hours until they confirm that they are submitting. Be careful to find a balance between constant reminders and not bombarding letter writers with messages.
Updated as of January 2019.