Recently Started Reading This Book! I’m Already In Pain, I Can Tell This Will Be A Frustrating Read,

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 :)

seattle at night from the space needle ❤️

tag yourself: autumn edition

tea or hot chocolate? cozy books or halloween movies? plaid or corduroy? foggy mornings or twinkly nights? orange or black? pumpkin or apple pie? wool or velvet? picking fruit or carving pumpkins? libraries or coffee shops? cinnamon or peanut butter? spooky or cozy halloween? candles or fairy lights?

journal entry ideas:

• what do i love about my life?

• what do i feel like my life is missing, how can i get more of what i need?

• where do i want to be in 5 years?

• who r the people in my life that make me the happiest?

• when am i happiest?

• what do i love doing?

• what am i afraid to do?

• can i improve on any of my daily habits?

• what steps am i taking to reach my goals?

• what makes me upset?

• how can i be happier?

• am i doing all i can to reach my goals?

• 5 things i love about myself:

• 3 negative mindsets i should let go of:

• what will i accomplish next year?

• how can i improve my daily routines?

• what is one piece of advice i would give to my future self?

• how can i love myself more, daily?

• what can i do to practice more self care throughout the week?

• 5 things that make me smile:

• steps i can take to b the most confident version of myself:

• how can i show others more love each day?

• who makes me the happiest?

• what is my number one goal for next year?

• if i could relive one moment it would be:

• if i could time travel i would go:

• i describe a perfect day as..

• if i could be anything in the world, i would be..

• if i could travel anywhere in the world i would..

• what makes me unique?

• what does self love look like?

• what r my top three personality traits?

• what do i miss about my childhood?

• my ideal life looks like..

🫶🏼

January Study Challenge

day 21 - can you play any instruments? how long have you been playing?

i play the viola! i’m not in my school’s orchestra anymore, but i’ve been playing for like 5 years now!

p.s. i skipped days like 18-20 i think? i forgot 😬

p.p.s. i got mildliners recently ! i love them so much already

i liked the sky when i was walking home today :) today hasn’t been the best tho, a toxic ex hit me up and for some reason i’m being really friendly 🙃 also i have a massive crush on this guy who’s really on and off in wanting to talk to me. on a happier note, i’ve listened to lots of Tame Impala today, and all my studying is going well !

January Study Challenge

day 10 - do you/can you study at home? how do you keep yourself focused?

yes i only study at home actually 🤷🏻‍♀️ um i usually put my phone somewhere where it’s not visible, and have some water near me. also if i’m feeling really unmotivated, i make myself study for 20 mins, then give myself a 5 min break to do whatever i want :)

day 17 - what does home mean to you?

i’m not really sure. i feel at home when traveling. when i start to get comfortable in whatever place i’m visiting - that’s home to me :)

January Study Challenge

day 25 - what’s your go-to study method? are there cases in which you wouldn’t use it?

my go-to study method is flashcards! i use it for prettyyy much everything, but definitely not math. for math, i watch videos on khanacademy as refreshers, and do their practice problems. for anatomy and geography, i play games i find online. so i def don’t use them for everything, but flashcards are extremely useful to me!