What info does a professor need to write a recommendation letter

[Liz CA]

for grad school, that is?

I figured mentioning the classes taken with this professor, any special projects in the field? What else?

[regentrude]

The student should remind the professor of the classes taken with the prof, which semester, grade earned, any special projects - so the prof does not need to spend time looking this up.

Also, the student should send the prof a resume that has all activities related to the student's grad school interest - design teams, leadership, job shadowing, volunteer hours, summer jobs.

The professor can only directly speak to her or his own interaction with the student, but may weave some of the additional information into the letter as extra illustrations of the student's traits.

 

ETA: It is important to pick a prof who knows the student from more than just class attendance. "Student always attedned class, turned hw in on time and ot an A" is NOT a sufficient recommendation. Pick a prof that was the research advisor, or the faculty advisor of a student organization in which the student was active. If none of these apply, at least pick a prof where student regularly attended office hours or help sessions and had conversations with the prof.

Edited August 3, 2017 by regentrude