Graduate School Recommendation Letter Requests
for Caltech Students

If you are a current or former Caltech undergraduate student and wish Professor Antonsson to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, he will need the following items:

  • A list of schools to which you are applying, and due-dates, with the earliest due-date at the top,
  • A draft copy of your statement of purpose
    (to be sure his letter doesn't conflict with your stated interests),
  • An unofficial copy of your transcript
    (to be sure his letter doesn't conflict with your abilities as reflected by your grades),
  • Recommendation forms (with the applicant portion filled-in),
  • Stamped and addressed envelopes to send forms and letters directly back to the schools
    (Note: As a matter of policy, Prof. Antonsson will not return recommendation letters to the student/applicant, even in sealed envelopes),
  • (optional) A copy of your resume.

    A Few Thoughts on Recommendation Letters

    A good letter-writer is not (necessarily) one who you think will say nice/good things about you, but rather someone who knows you well, and has worked with you, and therefore has substantial things to say about you. A weak letter contains only: "Johnny took my class and got a B." A strong letter describes some work-related, professional, or individual interaction. For graduate school applicants, the best letter-writers are faculty who have supervised you doing a research or independent project. Ideally, you will have at least one, and perhaps two such research project supervisor letter-writers, and a third (coach, job supervisor, volunteer activity supervisor, church pastor, academic advisor, etc.). Thus, if you wish to go on to graduate school, it is to your great advantage to introduce yourself to faculty and become engaged in research projects (even as a volunteer).

    ME72 has greater individual contact than a typical class, however, if this (and perhaps one other class) are your only contact with Prof. Antonsson, he will only just barely be able to write a letter with enough substance to be valuable.

    Note: If you do waive your right to access the contents of the recommendation letter that Prof. Antonsson writes for you, he will be able to write more candidly and thoroughly about his impressions of you.

    Fellowships

    All U.S. citizens applying for graduate school from Caltech should apply for NSF and DoD/NDSEG fellowships. The application is easy to complete, and Caltech students stand a good chance of winning them. Please pick up an application at the Career Development Center, or see Connie Yehle in room 207 Thomas. If Prof. Antonsson writes a letter of recommendation for graduate school for you, he will gladly also write one for these fellowships.

    Last updated Wed Oct 14 09:42:28 PDT 1998