Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Binghamton University people:kargin:starthttp://www2.math.binghamton.edu/2026-07-01T04:27:02-04:00FeedCreator 1.7.2-ppt DokuWikipeople:kargin:start:letterinfo2018-01-14T16:01:09-04:002018-01-14T16:01:09-04:00http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/people/kargin/start/letterinfo
<p>
Some points to keep in mind when you requesting a recommendation letter:
</p>
<p>
1) if you took one class from me and got a B, the letter is unlikely to be helpful
to you (unless it is a B in a graduate class).
</p>
<p>
2) if you got an A or A-, you should still keep in mind that the essence of a good
recommendation letter is a concrete comparison with other students.
So I must disclose to the graduate programs the detailed information about the
meaning of the grade.
</p>
<p>
In particular,
I am expected to disclose your percentile ranking in the class and describe
the level of hardness of the class. So, being in the upper 25% in Calc 3
certainly won't hurt but all alone I don't think it is going to get you
into an Ivy League school.
</p>
<p>
If you are unsure about your standing in a specific class, you can always ask me for
this information. This is a hard fact, not an opinion.
</p>
<p>
3) Unless somehow I got to know you personally, I will not be able to write anything
else besides this ranking information.
</p>