(no subject)
Dear Eric, would you be willing to write me a letter of recommendation for graduate school? I really enjoyed having you as a professor and would love to get your support as I move into the next stage of my education.
I often think of a conversation you and I had about graduate school, where I asked you, "Was it worth it?" and you laughed and said, "That's a good question!" As someone who only very recently decided she wanted to go to grad school, I appreciated that you were real with me, because Lord knows not everyone is.
Also, I meant to thank you for putting in a good word for me at the Talbert House, where I counsel people via the crisis hotline. I'm kind of socially clueless about some things: It only just occurred to me that you might like to know that I got the position and that I'm really enjoying it. Working here has helped me tremendously in figuring out what I want to do with my life. Thus the decision to go to grad school!
I know you're extremely busy both professionally and personally, so I'm totally willing to meet you halfway--more than halfway--and do whatever it takes to make it easiest on you.
Warm regards,
Joelle Murray-Lauck
This is as far as I got. I haven't sent this yet, because I'm (a) not 100% sure I want to take the plunge and apply for graduate school, and not even sure I have enough TIME, and (b) not sure how to make it clear to my professor that I will meet him more than halfway and make it as easy on him as possible. I want to keep it short and simple, but there's just a lot I want to SAY.
Meh. It says something about me that the most tortuous, strenuous, awkward and debilitating aspects of applying to graduate school will all be social, or communicative, in nature: asking for rec letters and writing my statement of purpose.
I often think of a conversation you and I had about graduate school, where I asked you, "Was it worth it?" and you laughed and said, "That's a good question!" As someone who only very recently decided she wanted to go to grad school, I appreciated that you were real with me, because Lord knows not everyone is.
Also, I meant to thank you for putting in a good word for me at the Talbert House, where I counsel people via the crisis hotline. I'm kind of socially clueless about some things: It only just occurred to me that you might like to know that I got the position and that I'm really enjoying it. Working here has helped me tremendously in figuring out what I want to do with my life. Thus the decision to go to grad school!
I know you're extremely busy both professionally and personally, so I'm totally willing to meet you halfway--more than halfway--and do whatever it takes to make it easiest on you.
Warm regards,
Joelle Murray-Lauck
This is as far as I got. I haven't sent this yet, because I'm (a) not 100% sure I want to take the plunge and apply for graduate school, and not even sure I have enough TIME, and (b) not sure how to make it clear to my professor that I will meet him more than halfway and make it as easy on him as possible. I want to keep it short and simple, but there's just a lot I want to SAY.
Meh. It says something about me that the most tortuous, strenuous, awkward and debilitating aspects of applying to graduate school will all be social, or communicative, in nature: asking for rec letters and writing my statement of purpose.