It is an honor and an important responsibility to write a letter of recommendation. 

To help me do my best, I would appreciate the following things from you:

• Enough warning so I can get the job done
• A list of deadlines in chronological order with specific instructions on what you need me to do with the letter when it's ready for each item
  
• A copy of your CV/resume so I can browse to get a broad picture of what you do
• For undergraduate students, please also give me an unofficial copy of your transcript
  
• A list of information about our *direct* connections (some of these questions may not apply to your situation)
  
• What date/situation did we meet?
  
• What work or research have we done together?
  
• What courses did you take with me? 
  
• What were your grades in them? 
  
• If you completed projects in these courses, describe the one you did.
• A description of what you are applying for.  
• If the application requires a research statement or personal statement, it would also be helpful to send me a copy (even an early draft is fine).
  
• A brief description of what perspective I am bringing to the table (what should I be commenting on that your other letter writers might not know as well as me?)

Thank you!

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Thanks for Michael Littman for the original version of these guidelines.