Ellie Kazemi, PhD

Training and Supervision

Research Laboratory

Obtaining A Letter of Recommendation

From Dr. Kazemi

You  would want to follow the general guidelines regarding obtaining letters of recommendation. Each recommender however, may have specific requests or policies you would want to respect. The more professional, organized and prepared your packet, the higher likelihood that your recommender will offer positive remarks at a time they are overwhelmed with many requests for recommendations. You would want to ask the recommender how to best prepare a packet for them individually when you initially contact them to ask if they would be able and willing to write you a letter of recommendation.

 

If you are asking Dr. Kazemi for a letter of recommendation, she asks that you offer the following:                                                                                                               

 

- Follow the general policies on the website (e.g., offer copies of a draft of your personal statement, curriculum vitae, unofficial grade report, fully completed forms including Dr. Kazemi’s position and contact information, addressed stamped envelopes, etc.)

· In your packet offer her a brief 1-page outline stating in which date semester you met, which course (if any), the grade you received in the course(s), and any highlights you’d like her to recall and mention

· If you have co-authored publications, be sure to offer the appropriate citations and a brief explanation of the research

· Specify the roles/responsibilities you have had in lab or internship

· Explain what type of programs you are applying to (e.g., PhD in Clinical Psychology) and your immediate goals

· State very briefly your future goals (i.e., what you hope to do with your graduate degree)

 

Deadlines are very important during graduate applications. Dr. Kazemi asks that you indicate the FIRST deadline that will approach and mark it clearly on top of your packet so that the deadline is visible next to your name.

Due to recent unethical student conduct, Dr. Kazemi and some other faculty will not hand out sealed signed envelops to students to include in their application packet. The value and status of a recommendation letter is highly influenced by the privacy and confidentiality of the recommender. All letters of recommendation will be directly mailed to the designated program, through stamped addressed envelopes, no exceptions.