When Sarah first asked me to write her a recommendation, I felt unequal to the task of capturing all that makes her special. But Sarah convinced me that I was the woman for the job, pointing out that writing her letter was one more way to shine during my tenure review. Since she’d been asked to write a letter about me, she rightly pointed out that it was only fair that I return the favor. She then referred me to your website in order that I might get the appropriate guidelines, due dates, and addresses myself. This ability to delegate will serve her well. Know that this letter would be every bit as positive if she had waived her right to see the letter.

Indeed, we’re enthusiastically celebrating Sarah’s graduation this spring; full of admiration for the way she’s taken advantage of our department. She proposed more independent studies and made use of more office hours than any student I’ve ever had.
While some might find Sarah aggressive, I would argue that Sarah is simply a force of nature that must be properly harnessed. And “force of nature” is not a “code word” for bitch. Why, when I heard her criticisms of my book through the grapevine, I knew that I could only benefit from her critique, trusting that her astute observations had nothing to do with the “B-” I had given her. (Nor did I take offense when she officially protested the grade, because I knew this pro-active self-confidence would only serve her in the future. When she feels she is the victim of injustice, she will not hesitate to take on The Man, or in this case, The Woman. I have no doubt she would fight equally hard on behalf of other victims, although I have no evidence of that per se.)

Despite the aforementioned “B-,” Sarah met every deadline, wrote papers that were always twice as long as what was required, and remembered to staple every assignment. Her footnoting was impeccable, she always chose a readable font, and she accessed every possible secondary source (in her enthusiasm, occasionally forgetting to cite them!). No, if I have any reservation about Sarah, and I don’t, it would be that her imagination sometimes lags behind her organizational genius.

But in the entry-level position she’s applying for, it’s unlikely that she’ll need imagination as much as she’ll need people skills. And Sarah has impacted more people than most. While her more immature peers often roll their eyes at her fastidiousness, her future colleagues will no doubt appreciate her efficiency. Why, when I failed to pass out the next assignment on the day it was listed on the syllabus, Sarah was the first to point out the oversight. Not only did she fire off an e-mail that very day, she cc-ed the Provost’s office so that I might let them know that this systemic error had been corrected.

Do call me with any questions you might have so that I can give a more complete picture of Sarah. In fact, there is so much more to say about this candidate, why don’t you call me during my office hours, which are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons? Or better yet, call me at home.