Before requesting a letter, it is worth asking yourself whether I am the right person to write it. A strong letter requires that I know your work well. At a minimum, this means you should have taken courses with me in which I have been able to evaluate your work directly, and that you have performed well in them. If you are applying to graduate programs in political theory, you should normally have earned an A− or A in your courses with me. If you are unsure whether I can write you a strong letter, feel free to ask me.

I only write confidential letters, and I will only submit or send them directly to the intended recipient.

I write a large number of letters every year, and I cannot guarantee timely submission without this lead time. The exception is if I have previously written a letter for you and it does not require substantial updating — but even then, I need at least a week's notice.

1. 1A list of all programs or positions to which you are applying, with deadlines
2. 2An up-to-date CV or résumé
3. 3An up-to-date transcript (unofficial is fine)
4. 4Your personal statement (a draft is fine)
5. 5A brief note on how the program or position connects to your goals, unless this is clear from your statement
6. 6The titles of all papers you wrote in my courses
7. 7Two of your best papers from my courses — preferably scanned graded copies
8. 8Your preferred pronouns

Most programs now use online submission portals. Unless you tell me otherwise, I will assume this is the case and expect to receive submission links by email. It is your responsibility to make sure those links reach me in time.

Good luck.