Letters of Reference

I am open to writing letters of reference for undergraduate students who meet the following minimum criteria.

• The student has earned a final grade of at least A- in at least one class with me.

• The student asks for the letter at least two weeks in advance.

• The student provides me with the following information and materials at least two weeks in advance: (1) a clear description of what the student is applying for, (2) the student’s CV, (3) any statement of interest/purpose/cover letter that the student must submit as part of the application, (4) a copy of the student’s final assignment(s) for any course(s) taken with me, (5) a transcript with grades earned in all courses taken to date (unofficial is fine), (6) explicit instructions about how the letter of reference is to be submitted.

Meeting these minimum criteria does not guarantee that I will agree to write a letter. In order to increase the chances that I will be able to agree, undergraduate students should try to meet the following more demanding criteria.

• The student has taken several courses with me in which they have earned final grades of at least A-.

• The student asks for the letter at least one month in advance.

• The student provides me with the information and material listed above at least one month in advance.

If you would like me to write you a letter of reference, please start by sending me an email at amcqueen[at]stanford[dot]edu