It's pretty much inevitable that we will all have to get letters of recommendation at some point during our time at Brown. Whether we're applying for jobs, internships, grants, study abroad programs or graduate schools, the time will invariably come to confront this rite of passage.
In a fantasy world, this process would be painless, and maybe our professors would even pull us aside after class, shower us with praise and offer to write us letters on their own time. ("You've been so eloquent in class lately, is there anything you'd like to be recommended for?") But alas, that is not the way the world works, and our professors are busy people who do not spend their days thinking about all the excellence and promise we show in class.
The process of requesting letters can be awkward for students — from deciding which professors to ask to ensuring that their letters actually get sent out on time. And it's undoubtedly time-consuming for professors, who probably get more requests for letters then they can keep track of. Though letters of recommendation will likely always be a source of stress for all parties involved, we wanted to offer two suggestions to make things go a little smoother.
First off, we'd like to see a University-wide standardized letter of recommendation request form, which students could use to provide professors with relevant background, resume and deadline information. This form could also give students a chance to suggest a few points to include in the letter, easing the burden on professors and the anxiety felt by students. Because professors may not always have time to ask students for examples of their strengths or accomplishments, the form could help students to outline some of their activities, achievements and strengths to mention in the letter.
This form would not replace the practice of students asking professors in person to write recommendations. Indeed, an initial face-to-face discussion is essential to the process. But we hope that a standardized form will make students less shy about talking to professors about their letters, as well as help professors gather material for letters and organize all the requests and deadlines that accumulate.
We'd also love to see the Career Development Center promote Interfolio, "the premiere online credential management service for universities" that replaced paper dossier accounts in 2009, according to the CDC website. Students can use Interfolio to store, save, send and manage letters of recommendation. Professors can e-mail or upload the letters to the site, and students can then keep track of their letters and send them from the site, which promises to process requests within one day. Though Interfolio is explained on the CDC website, it seems to us like many students have never heard of the service.
While the service is free for professors, it costs students $19 for a one-year subscription and $39.90 for three years, according to Interfolio's website. Though we think this price is pretty steep for what essentially amounts to an electronic paper storage service, the idea behind Interfolio has a lot of value. This tool would be incredibly useful for students who are taking time off after college and applying to grad school at a later time.
Maybe one day letters of recommendation will cease to create anxiety for students and a burden for professors. Until then, these two small suggestions could help make things just a bit easier.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
