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Janet Swim
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When considering going to graduate school, I recommend going to the following web
pages: Letters of recommendation: I will write letters of recommendation for students who have worked on research directly with me. There are exceptions to this policy. For instance, I will sometimes write letters for students who have been in my class but only if I have had substantial contact with the student in this role. First, ask me whether I think I have had sufficient contact with you and whether I feel comfortable writing a letter of recommendation. Do not assume that I will write a recommendation letter. If I say yes, please do the following: 1. Complete the questionnaire below. 2. If I have not seen you in a while, please send a picture with your information to remind me of who you are. If we have been out of contact so long or have had so little contact that I need this reminder, then it is likely that my recommendation will reflect the fact that I don't know you very well and may have difficulty answering questions about you. 3. You will most likely be writing a personal statement for your applications. Please give me a copy of this. 4. Please give me an unofficial copy of your transcripts. 5. Please give me all recommendations forms you want me to complete with the stamped and pre-addressed envelopes at the same time. That is, I do not want to get one week, another in another week, and then still more in latter weeks. I complete all forms in one setting. Please note, by completing the following information, you are agreeing that it is Ok for me to reveal information about you in a letter of recommendation. I will not put grades in letters though I may say things such as "the best in the class", "an average grade", etc. Background How long have I known you (years and months)?
In what capacity have I known you (student in class, advisee, independent study, research assistant, work study)?
Course work What class or classes have you taken with me? What were your grades? If you wrote a paper for me, what was it on, what grade did you get and was it a group paper or an individual paper? What part of the class you took with me relates most to the position for which you are applying?
What do you see as your strength in my class(es)? What makes you distinct from an average student? (E.g., participation, ability to work with fellow students, taking leadership roles in conducting studies, independent exploration of topics, performance on exams)
Research How many projects did you work with me on. Were any of them your independent research (e.g., senior or honors thesis?)
What role did you play in the research (e.g., design, prepare stimulus materials, subject recruitment, experimenter, data coding, data entry)
What part of the research did you like the most?
What part relates to the position for which you are applying?
General What do you see as your personal strengths (leadership, teaching, analytic skills, math skills, writing, speaking, etc.) |