so we beat on;

boats against the current morgan / 19 / stage management

[strawberrystudies]

11/22/2022 // This semester has been insane. Graduate school apps have been taking over my life and I’m a bit behind because I had the flu last week. Instead of resting, I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with my nose to the grindstone! Pray for me.

[briellestudies]

yooo how do u email a prof for a recommendation letter?

Hi Professor!

I am in the process of applying to ____ and they require letters of rec. I sincerely enjoyed your classes, and felt that they gave me a particularly good chance to display my strengths, such as ____ [class participation, writing, etc.] and would love for you to write me a letter, if you’d be willing. The due date is ____, and I can send you further instructions for submission later if you accept.

Attached to this email is ____, the piece of work I did in your class which best showcases my abilities, as well as my current CV [or resume]. If you agree to write me a letter, soon I will also send you drafts of my ____ [statement of purpose, personal statement, application essays, other relevant material] for my application to aid in your writing. I am also happy to meet in person to discuss this with you.

I want to stress that this application is quite competitive, so if you feel you will not be able to write me a strong letter then I completely understand - but please let me know. Thank you so much for your time!

Sincerely, ____

—

a few notes:

- you should have all your relevant materials (app essays, etc.) sent to them *at least* a month in advance to give them ample time to write the letter

- thus, your initial email asking them if they’d be willing to write a letter for you should be sent *over* a month in advance. professors are busy

- if you are applying for a really prestigious position/scholarship/fellowship, or grad school, it’s best to have at least a majority of your letter writers be professors (rather than adjuncts or post docs). ideally you’d want them to be full/tenured professors. in lots of cases, especially academic ones, *who* writes your letter matters - not just *what’s in* your letter

- the reason you send them the piece of work you did in their class that you are most proud of is to remind them of your abilities as a student and the quality of the work you produced for them. they have lots of students. sometimes they need a bit of help jogging their memory of exactly what you did in their class.

- the reason you send them your other application materials (personal statement, statement of purpose, CV) is so that they have information to draw from when writing your letter. they know what you’re passionate about, what you hope to do in the future, other experience you have, and can use this information when writing your letter

- on a similar note, this is also why you’d want to list the strengths you displayed in their class

- basically, you want to give them as much information as you can about your strengths, goals, and intentions - give them prompts they can use to write your letter

- the bit at the end about asking for a “strong letter” is important because some professors can only write you mediocre letters (e.g. “this student was always on time to class and gave their undivided attention during lecture” - what does this tell admission committees? well, it tells them that the professor has nothing positive to say about your *academic* abilities and so they’re resorting to other strengths. it’s a polite way of saying “this student was okay, but not spectacular in any notable way”. big red flag for admissions committees.) if all you’re going to get is a mediocre letter, you might as well not get a letter at all

- if the professor you ask accepts, then be sure to send them polite reminders as the date approaches. (i usually send a reminder at the 1-month-till-due-date mark when i send the other application materials, and then again at the 2 week and 1 week marks, and, if necessary, every day after the final 3 days leading up to the due date

—

i know this was a lot, but i remember being in your shoes and being completely lost when it came to applying for stuff so i know how daunting it can be. i figured i’d just throw all this information at you to be of as much help as possible.

for reference, i’ve applied to graduate programs, fellowships, and scholarships. i have been accepted into several of the top 10 graduate programs in my area, as well as received multiple scholarships and a fellowship, and received honorable mentions for some of the most competitive fellowships in the US. i have also worked with the admissions committee at my graduate program to organize multiple informational events for those interested in applying to graduate school and, in the process, have learned a lot about what makes a strong application.

so while you should absolutely take my advice with a grain of salt (different circumstances call for different standards), i do have quite a bit of experience with applications and what makes a strong letter of rec.

i hope this helped! best of luck with whatever you’re applying for :)

[violetsnotebook-archive]

17.04.21 / some time to indulge in my hobbies, a stack of classics to reread as cats take turns warming my lap–the makings of a soothing saturday. it’ll be a rainy one for me. i hope you have a fulfilling weekend no matter how you choose to spend it ♡

[academiix]

99/100 – as you can tell, i love stickers

[violetsnotebook-archive]

drinks featured in my studyblr posts | coffee edition

[learnelle]

29//July

Today I got email saying I'll be starting my 1st semester of Uni online. I'm saddened that moving country is on hold- but at least I'll be with my study companion for a little while longer 💛✨

Ft. Some Computer Science notes

[bhlissfhully]

[virtuosicstudyblr]

Sunday morning ☀️

[violetsnotebook-archive]

11.04.21 / photos of a lush week–an excellent book read, a journal full of thoughts and memories, thriving plants. i am thankful. how was your week? tell me all about it! enjoy your sunday ♡

[autumndesk]

08.05.2020 // 14:07pm

i woke up with a sore neck / shoulder this morning. sitting at my desk is quite painful, but finals are coming up, so i guess i have to push through. :/

[gymncpdie]

Wishing I was in a coffee shop right now.

[lalooneystudies]

Loving this new color aesthetic on my notes. How’s your monday?

[apricitystudies]

06.04.2021 // some planner and digital journal spreads!! this week is my mid semester holiday and i’m looking forward to catching up with my friends :^)

[kristynstudies]

[9/100 days of productivity]

7.4.21

it’s a beautiful spring day!! unfortunately i’m spending most of it inside, studying for my chemistry exam. i’m really nervous since i just haven’t been able to understand the material at all in this course. it’s the last one before the final so hopefully i can pull off a decent grade!

ps— my cat was very interested in my iced coffee :)

[resimlerdekaldik-deactivated202]

[imovedtomynewblog-deactivated20]

I have to tell you Ron,

[anoukostudies]

monday, 5th april

picked up some fresh tulips today, decided they deserved their own post + a few pics of my bedroom. i forgot how lovely it is to have flowers nearby :)