Letter of recommendation from Professor Tambouris
Several of my students occasionally ask me for a letter of recommendation. The goal is usually to gain admission to a graduate program. For this reason, I will refer to the students as candidates in the following.
This text outlines some basic aspects of the issue of letters of recommendation as I understand and handle it. I should emphasize that the issue of letters of recommendation is a personal one and therefore different teachers or employers may approach it differently.
Contents of the Recommendation
The recommendations I provide have a specific structure. This structure is essentially what most universities abroad require, so logically you will not need any additional information.
Specifically, I begin by mentioning some “objective facts.” These include how long I have known the candidate, which courses they took with me, their grades, and their ranking in relation to the other candidates in that particular exam. This section includes all the courses I have taught the candidate (and not a selection of them, e.g., those in which the candidate has good grades). If the candidate has a good overall grade (degree average), I mention this as well to strengthen their candidacy.
I will now describe my impression of the candidate in relation to his attendance at classes, individual and group assignments, and his behavior in class during lectures, as well as my impression of his academic qualifications and character.
In the case of candidates who have moved through ERASMUS, I also mention this fact (as ERASMUS coordinator) as I believe it strengthens a candidacy.
Finally, I state overall whether I recommend the candidate, how strongly I recommend them, and whether I believe they will succeed in the postgraduate program they have chosen.
General information about the Constituent
In general, I believe that the recommendation should be from courses in which you have very good grades in order for it to be particularly positive. It is good to have recommendations from courses that are relevant to the master’s program you choose. However, if you did not perform well in these courses, I believe that it is ultimately more important for the recommendation to be very positive, even if the courses are not particularly relevant. Your grades can be seen in your transcript anyway. What you need is someone to recommend you in a particularly warm way!
Therefore, as general advice, I would recommend that you look carefully at your detailed score so that you can decide, based on this criterion, who you should ask for a recommendation.
Before asking me for a recommendation
Although this depends on the circumstances, you should first ask yourself whether you want to ask me for a recommendation based on the above (i.e., whether it is in your best interest). Do you have good grades in my courses? Have you taken an elective course or written a thesis with me? Have you done good work? Did you attend my classes regularly? Finally, it is important to emphasize that cases of plagiarism will significantly deter me from writing a letter of recommendation.
Next Steps
If you ultimately decide to request a recommendation from me, you must email me all the courses we studied together, as well as your grades in those courses. If you have participated in the ERASMUS program, please send me the relevant information. Finally, send me your degree average. If you wish, you can also send me your detailed grades. I will reply shortly to let you know if I can provide you with a recommendation.
For more information, please visit me at the office so we can discuss the matter.
English