![]() With thanks to Mary Tolar, former Deputy Secretary of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.) (Some of the items above are responses to an informal survey of Truman Scholarship selection panel members. We want to avoid situations in which a student is represented by different letters with largely identical language from two different faculty members. If you have written a letter in collaboration with another faculty member, be mindful about how you and your colleague use subsequent versions of that letter. Faculty should also beware of leaning too heavily on material provided by students, since students give much the same information to each recommender and following this too closely can lead to letters that sound too similar. If you have questions about whether your students are applying through the same region for external fellowships, please contact Fellowship Programs ( or 20).Īlthough we encourage students to provide their recommenders with helpful, detailed information, it is not ethical to request that students provide drafts of their own letters. If you are called upon to write letters for two or more applicants for the same fellowship, beware of using too much of the same language in each, especially if they will be read by the same committee. Tip: You can help the student to consider alternative letter writers, but agreeing to write for a student whom you cannot strongly support does not help. If you do not have the time to write a good letter or if you think that you are not the best person to write a letter. If you recall little more about a student than the recorded grades. If you feel that you cannot be emphatically positive in support of a student. If the student asks too close to the deadline or approaches you in a highly unprofessional manner (We advise students to ask for letters no less than three weeks in advance of a deadline.) There may be times when declining to write a letter is the best thing to do, such as: Letters should be honest - and honest criticism, if generously presented, can enhance the force of a letter - but committees take critical comments very seriously. Letters that may be read as implying criticism (beware of left-handed compliments) or whose criticisms might be taken to indicate stronger reservations than stated. Letters that consist largely of unsupported praise and fail to provide specific examples of points mentioned or generic letters sent without regard to the specific fellowship, course of study, or project proposed. On the whole, the following are not helpful: Tip: Think about how your letter of recommendation might help shape an interview with the fellowship committee. ![]() ![]() If not, say no (see below.)Īvoiding Racial Bias in Letter of Reference WritingĪvoiding Gender Bias in Letter of Reference Writing Consider whether you can dedicate the time and energy to writing a detailed letter. These can be helpful guides as you craft your recommendation.īe aware of bias in letter writing (avoid gendered language, racial stereotypes)īe honest with yourself. Letters from professors may also draw on the comments from teaching assistants who may have worked more closely with the applicants.Īsk a student to send you a current resume and relevant application materials and have a conversation with the student about what to highlight. Quantitative remarks and percentages may be useful: "among the three best students I have taught." The strongest comparisons have the widest reach: "top 5% of students in my 20 years of teaching" is stronger than "the best in his section."ĭraw on the remarks of colleagues for supporting evidence or the acknowledgement of specific strengths. If possible, the student can be compared to graduate students or professionals. Positive impact the fellowship would have on the student's short- or long-term goals and overall educational trajectory.Place the student in a larger context: e.g., a letter could compare the present applicant to past applicants/winners. Merits of the proposed research project, course of study, internship, etc. Provide specific information about the applicant based on your first-hand knowledge, such as:Įxamples of what the applicant has done (e.g., if the student wrote a brilliant paper, mention its topic and why it stood out).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |