Statements of Purpose and Letters of Recommendation

Statements of Purposeand Letters of Recommendation GSPI Reality Series October 15, 2008

Statements of Purpose • Recipient’s multiple goals • Evaluate the fit of your interests, values, personality, and priorities with their program • Evaluate your background and goals to complement the quantitative and factual other information • Evaluate the quality of your background and preparation for their program • Identify deficiencies, how you intend to or have addressed them • Evaluate your writing skills

In Context – the Narrative • GPA, GRE, other numerical • Coursework, efficiency, breadth • Extracurricular activities • Skills – writing, math, statistics, research, clinical or context-specific skills (schools, industry, foster care) • Letters of recommendation • STATEMENT should tie all of these together, make you a coherent person • Statement is especially important if you have weaknesses and/or idiosyncratic interests

Mechanics • Be concise, clear, don’t obfuscate, BE CLEAR! • Use chronological and logical organization • Don’t be too vague, evaluative, be more specific • Sound confident but not arrogant (open, humble, grateful) • Every single word must be spelled correctly • Pay special attention to apostrophes, capitalization, syntax • First paragraph should be written last, it is your best work • Attend, 100%, to instructions • If no page limit specified, suggest 2-3 pages

Who Am I, Anyway? • More difficult than simply accounting for your actions, thinking about who you are and how this fits in with your goals is tremendously important. • What choices (easy vs. difficult courses, extracurricular activities) have you made so far about your academic life? • What courses do you most enjoy? Why? • What do you most enjoy about your chosen field? • What are you doing when you feel most competent and engaged in your chosen field? • What books or articles do you spontaneously pick up and read? • When you think about what you want to do in your daily life, what is it that you’d like to be doing in 10 years in your career?

Modules • Personal background • Career goals • General area of interest • Academic objectives • Clinical/practicum experience • Research/other academic experience • Special skills • Fit with program • Fit with faculty members

Beginning the Essay • Yikes! This is REALLY hard! (yes, self-reflection is hard, especially when you’re actively developing!) • Write free-form on each module • Fill in with specific information (use CV as a method) • Polish and look at overall organization • Write first paragraph, synthesizing • Write an individual paragraph for each school about your fit with the program and faculty

Personal Background • Don’t make yourself into a victim. Be empowered by your downfalls and how you responded to them, learned from them • Be somewhat objective, describe family history, how early experiences influenced who you are now • Link personal background to goals for the future – helping others in your community – what is the impetus for your goals?

Career Goals • Be informed: • What types of careers are there? What do people do who are working in that career? • What education do you need for your career goal? • What qualifications do students need to enter graduate school in that area? • What settings, populations, research questions do you hope to be working with?

General Areas of Interest • Be organized and coherent with other materials • Cite literature, don’t be afraid to use concepts and theories from your courses to interpret your own goals • Be clear and concise – many decisions are made on clarity of goals!

Academic Objectives • What do you want to get out of your graduate program? • What types of coursework, internship, research, and other experiences will help you to prepare for your career? • Can the program help you to meet your goals? • Does the program have sufficient flexibility to work realistically into your life?

Clinical/Practicum Experience • If possible, stay in a setting for a year or more (continuity, maturity, responsibility) • Keep careful track of the number of hours you work on different responsibilities • Keep careful track of all training you have received and given • Keep careful track of all skills you have gained • Keep careful track of all of the products that you have generated (procedure manuals, conference papers, etc.)

Research Experiences • Stay in a lab for a year or more • Diversity in skills is critical • Show leadership skills after learning the basics • Be as helpful in providing research assistance (library, web-based), data collection, data entry, data management and analysis, writing as possible. • Offer to assist with conference papers, publications once you’ve been in a lab for 6+ months

Other Academic Experiences • Student clubs and organizations (Psi Chi, Multicultural Psychology Association, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, etc.) Member or officer • Awards or recognition • Volunteering for the department • Special experiences

Special Skills • Bicultural/multicultural • Bilingual/multilingual • Statistics and methodology • Conferences, publications, public speeches • Testing, assessment • Software, specialized techniques (E-Prime, Neuroscan, LexiCor)

Fit • Know their program well! • Never ask a question before looking at web pages and all publicly available information • Describe how the program’s mission, courses, and experiences match your graduate education and career interests • Describe how the faculty and other specifics (medical center, other) will facilitate your meeting your goals • Describe how you are qualified and ready!

Anything Else? • Low GREs, GPA, other weaknesses should be addressed directly, but ONLY if they truly are a weakness (better to ask faculty to address) • If you have done something extraordinary – managed a family, aging parent during your undergraduate years or survived a tragedy and persevered, be vocal!

Letters of Recommendation • Usually 2 - 3, sometimes 4 letters required • Don’t add extra letters just because, but if you have 4 referees who have something meaningful to say, it probably won’t hurt; Especially if the 4th has meaning

Letters of Recommendation • Forms ask time known, good candidate, academic record reflect ability, acceptable in own program • Items on which candidates are often evaluated - Scales • Recommend, top 1%, etc.

Letters of Recommendation • Ask yourself how your professors view you • Academic achievement • Research ability, experience, or potential • Especially advanced or honors courses that parallel advanced courses elsewhere • Teaching potential or experience • Verbal skills, public speaking ability • Leadership ability • Character, honesty, integrity, ethical & moral standards

Letter of Recommendation • Sometimes letters are as important as grades & test scores • But can’t compensate for poor grades, test scores • Once initial cut, recommendation letters can be very powerful • Provide insight into the individual’s abilities, work habits, etc. • Can signal problems

Letter of Recommendation • If you ask a referee who doesn’t know you well, your letter is likely to be less than wonderful • Specificity is viewed positively, perceived credibility of referee • Longer letters for students they like & admire • Too-long, they may only be skimmed

Letter of Recommendation • Traits that are viewed most negatively • Often hands in assignments late • Is arrogant • At age 29 is a bit immature • Participates often in class, but comments tend to be off-target or rambling • Is dependent & can be “clingy” when insecure • Misses classes frequently • Requires considerable structured direction • Is brilliant but unmotivated • Likes argument for its own sake • Is poorly groomed & unkempt

Letter of Recommendation • Traits that are viewed most positively • Is a self-starter • Is highly motivated to achieve • Is responsible & dependable • Is always willing to pitch in & help out • Has a professional manner & attitude • Participates effectively in class • Is outgoing & friendly • Has a good sense of humor

Letter of Recommendation • Improvements are important, if you see a flaw, fix it • Remind professor of things that might be problematic, be sure to remind your referee of your fixing the obstacle! • If you were praised or did something, remind • Printed information: resume (CV), paper, statement of purpose, etc.

Letter of Recommendation • Best bet: professors with whom you’ve worked, taken several courses with, whose professional identity is aligned with your own • Especially statistics professors who are impressed with your abilities • Services: should be someone who teaches or works in your field and can comment, based on direct observation of your abilities

Letter of Recommendation • Best to ask professors from whom you’ve received good grades (taken a course), have a good relationship with, taken upper division courses from - especially if they’re difficult courses • Other department? • Yes, especially if relevant • Must match your goals • Child development or FES for developmental psychology • Worked with but not taken classes from • Not as good - professors need to know who you are academically

Letter of Recommendation • Field work supervisors - especially if clinical, counseling, applied programs • Employers if your job bears a clear relationship to your field • Computer programmer applying for quantitative program • Only ask your therapist if you had a dip in grades or inconsistencies that would be addressed by this person • Not family or friends • Religious schools may require a letter from a clergy member

Letter of Recommendation • Reputation of letter-writer matters • Have previous students done well? • Is the person important in her or his field? • All things being equal, a better known referee is better than a lesser known • Full-time better than part-time or teaching assistant • Fieldwork supervisor with PhD better than MA or BA

Letter of Recommendation • You have to ask a professor, don’t just leave materials • Must be respectful, careful, sensitive • List names of referees who have agreed to write you letters • SCARY? But professors are asked all of the time & understand • Reach them in person • Direct discussion of situation and needs • Office hours or call ahead • If you have to write, include a photo

Letter of Recommendation • “I’m here to ask you if you would feel comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation for me.” • If they say yes, be ready to give them forms, other information • If some reservations, discuss, make sure that the letter will be positive • I would appreciate it if you would tell me if you will write about any reservations • Main reason professors say no is because they don’t know you well enough; May not have enough time; May have some real-world reservations

Letter of Recommendation • Three weeks is usually enough time • Complete negotiations by mid-November for December & January deadlines • Faculty don’t want to write letters over break • Providing information is important - resume (CV) statement of purpose, transcripts, GPAs, list of courses in major, courses you plan to take, papers you wrote for the professor, GRE scores, comments about other things, courses/experiences you shared with your referee, relevant work, experiences

Letter of Recommendation • Informational package - • Should be well-organized & neat • Complete & accurate • All forms should be typed; make it easy to read; Type your name on each form; Fill out waiver of rights; If no forms, say so • STATE IF LETTER IS ONLINE OR PAPER • If paper, provide addressed envelope, stamp • Cover sheet with list of schools, deadlines, type of program ONLINE OR PAPER • Give referee all the letters at one time, not a few at a time • Don’t ask for letter of recommendation; If referee wants to give it to you, they will

Letter of Recommendation • Informational package - • Waiver? • Up to you • Looks better if you waive your rights, but you should have the right to see the letter • Makes a difference in the letter • Write poorer letters if students do not waive their right • View letters where students waived as less biased, more honest • Go back to your professor and let them know how you did!

What should I consider when filling out application forms? • 8 - 16 hours per application at the beginning • Second & subsequent applications may be 4 - 6 hours • Save time by getting organized, having paragraphs written, etc. • Sometimes apply to university & department • Usually want statement of purpose as well • Most time - essays & experimenting with forms • Compute your GPA several different ways--takes time

What should I consider when filling out application forms? • Make at least two photocopies of each application form • Pencil in information at first • Second copy for trial with typewriter • Use fillable (pdf) forms if at all possible • Put N/A instead of leaving any spaces blank • If it won’t fit, continued on next page or see attached sheets and have appropriate headings • Or you can just put in what you can and say see CV for more • Neatness really counts

What should I consider when filling out application forms? • Cover letter only if needed to explain a special circumstance (my referee has just arrived back from another country or I speak English well). Only if no other place to put it • If you have a resume (CV) or other material and they don’t explicitly say not to include such things, then you should

Statements of Purpose and Letters of Recommendation