I am happy to write letters of recommendation (in English only) for students who have excelled in my classes. Because many students request recommendations each semester, I have prepared the following guidelines. Please read the entire post before emailing me: I will not reply to requests for letters of recommendation sent via email.
1) The due date for this letter;
2) Copies of your papers and/or exams from your classwork with me (ideally with my markings on them);
3) If you are applying to a school or program that requires a formal application letter, include this statement of purpose;
4) If your application requires no formal letter, explain to me in one or two paragraphs (at most) why you feel this specific position or program interests you and what makes it well suited to you;
5) An up-to-date resume or CV;
6) An autobiographical statement of one or two paragraphs that tells me where you are from, what you’ve accomplished so far (clubs, sports, extracurriculars, awards, GPA–whatever stands out), what interests you in general, and what you hope to do with your future;
7) A description of the program to which you are applying, including your future research agenda in a graduate program, or the unit in an internship or job;
8) Provide the name, addresses, specific instructions, and links to the program or position, along with all necessary forms;
9) Include any special instructions for how individual schools or positions want to receive their letters. Most graduate schools want these letters sent directly to them (this is also my preference), but some want them sent back to you (signed across the seal);
If you do invite me to write a letter, it is much easier to write letters for you in the future. The first letter takes some time to compose–hours, really–so that it would be much easier for me to craft them in the future–an hour or so or less.
I save the best for last: whether you land the job or get into graduate school or not, tell me and tell your writers the outcome! We may write many of these letters but we do with care and hope for each of you to achieve what you set out to do. Let us share in your successes and let downs. Quite like your education, the project of finding and securing the beginning of a career requires support from all levels.
(This text is taken with a few changes from Jack Gieseking's website, with their permission. Jack copied it from Melissa Sanchez and Douglas D. Perkins. Check out their work while you're at it!)