I am/was a student in one of your courses at Ecole Polytechnique; could you write a Letter of Recomendation?

Gladly ask me for a letter of recommendation if several of the following match:

  • You worked with me in the context of, e.g., thesis/internship/PRL

  • You performed very well in the course

  • You were particularly involved in the course (attended lectures, asked questions, initiated in-class discussion, etc.)

But please understand if I do not have time. For context: I see 100-300 excellent students per year across different courses, and a great number of whom request multiple letters of recommendation (please be selective regarding which programs you apply to); and each one requires writing and customising the letter (for each particular program you want to apply to), uploading it, and filling in the often-long accompanying web forms, for each program.

I prefer to personalise the letter as best as possible. And according to my understading, this is the point of a letter of recommendation. It is why the first point above is the first. If you want to talk about your grades in other courses, your motivation, etc., you normally have the option to include that information yourself in your application (in the form of a transcript, and letter of motivation, etc). Of course, don’t hesitate to let me know of any points you would like to emphasise, and a reminder of the justification for those points.

Just for information’s sake, here are a small selection of typical questions that recommenders are asked to answer in a letter of recommendation (as you will see, many questions are best answered by someone who have worked with closely, rather than just the lecturer of your course):

  • How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?

  • How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?

  • Please give an example of the applicant’s impact on a person, group, or organization.

  • Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts and communicates with others, including peers and superiors.

  • Please give an example of how the applicant has synthesized and executed on an assigned task and/or mastered new material.

  • Which of the applicant’s personal or professional characteristics would you change?

  • Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.

  • Please write candidly about the applicant’s qualifications, potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified, intellectual independence, capability for analytical thinking, ability to organize and express ideas clearly, and potential for teaching.

  • Descriptions of significant actions, accomplishments, character, and personal qualities related to scholarly achievement are particularly helpful.

  • Please write candidly, analytically, and at length about the student’s qualifications and potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified.

  • Treatment of both strong and weak points will be most helpful in describing attributes such as motivation, intellect, maturity, and other relevant characteristics. Specific examples are far more useful than generalizations.

  • What particularly qualifies this applicant for study at …?

  • What are the applicant’s accomplishments in research or independent projects?

  • How does the applicant compare to other students you know who have attended …?

  • Can the student clearly communicate ideas in written and spoken English?

  • Do you have any reservations about the applicant’s ability to succeed at …?