LETTERS, OF RECOMMENDATION As many of you begin your senior year, you will be giving some serious thought to what you will be doing a year from now. Whether you plan to seek employment upon graduation or decide to further your education in graduate school, chances are that you will need to obtain recommendations from some of your professors. Be sure to use the attached letter of recommendation request form. You may download a copy of this form from the online resource center. Before giving the form to the faculty member, be sure you have completed the requirements listed on the first page. Requesting Recommendations for Graduate School and Employment: As you go about the process of applying to graduate schools or for employment, please keep the following points in mind when asking your professors for letters of recommendation. 1. Graduate schools and Employers vary in terms of when your application must be complete. The earliest deadline dates for schools are usually December 1 or later; other schools have deadline dates much later in the year. Letters of recommendation do take time to write (at least, good letters take time to write), and even if the school/employer provides a recommendation form, a personal letter must also be written. If some of your letters are due in January or February, the middle of November is not too early to give the necessary materials to your professors. Remember that, just like you, professors are very busy around the end of the semester. If at all possible, give the materials for all of the graduate schools/employers to which you are applying to your professors at the same time, even if the due dates are very different. This approach will help reduce the possibility of us misplacing materials that are received at different times. When the graduate school/employer has provided a recommendation form, make certain that you have filled out your part of the form. You usually have to provide your name and the program to which you are applying, and other information may be necessary as well. Most forms also give you the option of waiving your right to see the recommendation; indicate your choice, and make sure that you sign the waiver statement. Should you waive your right to see your recommendations? The choice is yours, but your professors will probably appreciate writing confidential recommendations. Your choice here could conceivably influence what your professors say and how the graduate schools or employers interpret the recommendations. 4. Most schools and some employers will ask you to write some type of personal statement concerning your career goals, interests, why you think you may be successful, and so forth. You may not have written this statement at the time that you are first requesting letters, but when you do write it you should give a copy to your professors. This gives us an opportunity to write a recommendation that complements your own statement.
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You should also be aware that this personal statement is a very important part of your application. Spend ample time writing and revising it, and make sure that it is well written and neatly typed. Ask one or more of your professors to review it and make suggestions for modifications. A tip sheet for writing a personal statement is in the Resource Center. 5. Because the request form is both for graduate schools and for employment recommendations, there are some questions that may not seem to apply to your goals. However, in order for the faculty member to write a good recommendation, they need the full view of you as a person, so please be sure to answer all questions Once your applications are complete and you begin to get responses from the schools and employers, please remember to keep your professor informed about your acceptances and rejections. After their work writing letters, they will appreciate hearing about the outcomes. Even a short note sent to each person who wrote letters for you will be greatly appreciated!
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ST. VINCENT COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION REQUEST Instructions and Checklist: □ I have discussed the letter of recommendation with each faculty member face-to-face. I asked each faculty member if they can write me a good letter of recommendation. □ I have completed the attached forms in black or blue ink and have written neatly. (You may complete one of each of the forms and make duplicates for all individuals who are writing letters of recommendation for you.) □ I have attached a copy of my unofficial transcript and highlighted each class taken by the respective faculty member. (In other words, if Fr. Vernon is writing a letter of recommendation for you, on the transcript you provide to Fr. Vernon, you should highlight only the courses which you took from Fr. Vernon.) □ I have kept the original of this form so I can update as needed. □ I have included a stamped, addressed envelope for each school/employment to which I am applying. □ I have completed the final pages listing the programs to which I am applying and have done so completely and accurately. Demographic Information Date: Name: Campus Address: Home/Permanent Address:
Phone: Email:
Phone: Email:
Academic Information Overall GPA Major(s): GPA in the major(s): Minor(s):
List any supporting course work. For example, if you are seeking a degree in I/O, you should list any and all business courses which you have completed.
Standardized test name and scores (e.g., GRE Verbal, Quantitative, Analytic, Subject; GMAT;LSAT).
Academic awards (e.g., Dean's list, academic scholarships, membership(s) in honor societies).
Experiences Describe your internship experience(s), especially as they pertain to your aspirations for graduate school or employment.
If you completed any independent research (e.g., Research Sem I and II or Critical Review Paper), describe the topic and your experiences, especially as they pertain to graduate school/employment.
Describe any work experiences which might pertain to graduate school/employment.
Describe any extra-curricular activities (e.g., Psych Club, Psi Chi, SGA) you have had during your academic career. Your description should include your level of participation in each group.
Personal Experiences What are your academic strengths? Why?
What are your academic weaknesses? Why? How have you tried to remedy those weaknesses?
Why do you feel you are qualified for the graduate school/employment position you are seeking?
Describe your level of the following characteristics. Give concrete examples. Dependability
Intelligence
Initiative
Written communication skills
Oral communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Please provide any additional information that you think might be of help in preparing your letter of recommendation.
Information about the Graduate Programs/Employment Please list the programs or employers in chronological order with the earliest deadlines first.
1. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer
2. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer
3. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer
4. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer
5. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer
6. Deadline: Name of Institution: Name of Department: Degree sought and Program (e.g., I/O, Cognitive, Counseling): Mailing Address for letter of recommendation:
Is a stamped, addressed envelope included? Yes No Is a copy of your personal statement included? Yes No Does the graduate program/employer require a form? Yes No Did you sign a waiver portion of the form? Yes No Where should the letter be sent? _____ Return to the student _____ Mail directly to graduate school/employer