1. Who to ask. Request letters from people who have enough knowledge about you that they can comment meaningfully on your potential as a graduate student or employee. Being a student in a class does not generally provide knowledge, unless it was a small seminar class with a high level of contact with the professor. Ideally, you will have worked as a research assistant in the person’s lab, been supervised in an honor’s project, and/or taken multiple courses with him or her. Your supervisor for a practicum might also be a good choice. 2. Timing. Contact the person for a recommendation well in advance of the due date for completing the letter–three weeks or so. Some may turn you down or fail to respond because they are out of town, too busy, or don’t feel they can write you a strong letter. 3. Recommendation for What? Make sure it is clear what type of program you are applying to (Masters in Social Work, Ph.D. program in developmental psychology, PsyD program in counseling psychology, Law School, etc.) or, for a job, what the position is. 4. Where and how to submit recommendations. Provide your references with an organized compilation of information (an Excel sheet is a good idea) that specifies deadlines for each letter, how it will be submitted (sent to an email, the school will send a link for on-line submission, sent in the mail. For MAILED recommendations, provide stamped addressed envelopes to your references 10 days or so before the deadline. 5. Other Supportive Materials. For help in writing the letter, provide references with a (1) copy of your personal statement (draft is fine if you are still working on it), (2) a current resumé/vita, (3) a transcript (you can just print out your record from DuckWeb), and (4) GRE scores (some schools ask whether the applicant’s GRE scores accurately reflect their aptitude). Ideally, you should also arrange an appointment to talk over your goals and plans with each reference. If there are flaws in your academic record (bad GPA during freshman year, for example!) give your references the story behind the flaws. Be sure they know your research interests and career goals. 6. Follow Up. A week or so before the first deadline, send an e-mail reminder. Your letter may be lost in a big “to-do” pile, and a reminder will help move it to the top. Check to be sure they have received the envelopes you provided for mailed letters. |
