Blog — graduate school tips

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• TL;DR
• The Art of the Ask
• Building Relationships
• Timing is Everything
• Making Your Case
• When Time Isn’t On Your Side
• The Content Matters
• Adding Personality
• Choosing the Right People
• Each Step Counts
• The Emotional Quagmire
• FAQs

TL;DR

Diving into psychology degree programs involves navigating through some paperwork hurdles, especially the all-important letter of recommendation psychology applicants need. This article gives you the inside scoop on building solid relationships, making thoughtful requests, and even considering options to buy letters of recommendation,...

TL;DR

A strong research paper can give a professor something much more useful than a good grade to talk about in a graduate school recommendation letter. It can give them evidence.

When a professor has seen how you choose a research question, find and evaluate sources, deal with conflicting information, build an argument, respond to criticism, revise your work, and explain a complicated idea, they have material they can use in a recommendation letter. Instead of writing, “John is a hard-working student,” the professor can explain why John stood out.

That distinction matters.

Graduate admissions committees are not only interested...