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Updated on October 2, 2023
Every year, I receive many requests for recommendation letters. I am happy to help, but I need strong evidence to write a good letter. Over the years, I have developed some criteria I use when deciding whether to write a letter in support of your applications. These criteria are as follows:
It is a big plus if you are a joint Math and Econ major. Enrollment in both Econ 120B/Econ 120C and Econ 120CH is also a big plus. If you got only an A- in my class and your GPA is below 3.5, then I may not be the best person to write your letter of recommendation (LOR).
If you meet the above criteria, please make your LOR request Here. This page is accessible only via your UCSD email. This is the first step of the whole process; no letter will be written if this step is missing.
I will use the department's LOR system to streamline and manage the entire process. This system typically becomes active toward the end of September each year and remains available until the admissions season concludes. All my letters must be administered via this system, which saves me much time every year. I will not be able to accept an LOR request when the system is inactive.
If you haven't already read the general instructions, please read them Here. This page contains a very helpful LOR flowchart.
Writing recommendation letters has become quite time-consuming for me lately. You can assist me in composing a more effective letter by providing the following information in the LOR system:
You are welcome to share a brag letter (a paragraph or two) from the third-person point of view. However, this is entirely optional and not necessary, and I may or may not use any information you provide. A CV is also optional.
No meeting is necessary unless instructed.
Send me an email one week before the deadline if any letter is missing.
Please note that I am only able to write an academic recommendation letter. In general, I cannot provide comments on your personal traits. Such comments are often required by professional schools, such as business schools, public policy schools, and law schools. Some of these schools require the letter writer to respond to questions about personal traits and do not offer the option to upload a traditional recommendation letter. In these cases, I prefer not to serve as your recommender, and the department's LOR system cannot accommodate such requests.
After I agree to write an LOR, you will receive an email from the department's LOR system that contains the following:
"Yixiao Sun agreed to write you a letter of recommendation.
DO NOT request the letter through the application portal of the schools you apply to yet.
We will let you know an email address you must use when Yixiao Sun finishes writing the letter. Then, you can request the letter submission.
The letter will be ready three days before your deadline."
Please read the above carefully. Please do not provide my personal email address (yisun@ucsd.edu or yisun@econ.ucsd.edu) on your application forms. Doing so will bypass the LOR system, and your letter will not be submitted to the schools you are applying to.
Exchange Students:
I typically do not write letters of recommendation for exchange students at UCSD unless I know the student very well and they are applying to Ph.D. programs. Exchange students are encouraged to seek recommendation letters from their home institution instead.