The truth is, letters of recommendations can make or break an applicant's acceptance into psychology graduate school, their chances of getting an internship and their ability to get the job of their dreams.
"The letter of recommendation is one of the only places that you really get to know the person between the lines of their CV," says University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, psychology professor Mitch Prinstein, PhD.
Yet many people treat reference letters as minor formalities in the application process, requesting them last-minute and haphazardly, he notes. "Letter writers are often required to discuss an applicant's attention to detail and organizational skills, so it really is so important that the recommendation letter itself is requested with the same level of conscientiousness," he says.
The more applicants can do to make the recommendation letter process easy for the writers—who are typically a supervisor, mentor or professor—the more likely they will be to get a strong letter.
Here are other keys to making letters of recommendation stand out, whether you are the requester or the writer.
Requesting a letter
Choose your author strategically. Figuring out who to ask is the first—and arguably, the most important—step in the process, says John Roberts, PsyD, senior psychologist at Folsom State Prison, who supervised practicum students, interns and postdocs in his previous position at a state hospital. "I always told graduate students that they need to be thinking about their letters of recommendation their first year in the program because to get a great letter, you need to have a visible track record established with someone," he says.
Prinstein advises applicants to request letters only from faculty or supervisors with whom they have a history, such as those they have worked for as a researcher or in a clinical role, or who they have met with several times throughout a semester and established a rapport. "Going to a professor's office hours and asking one question about the material does not give someone enough information to write a good recommendation letter," he says.
For internship recommendation letters in particular, Roberts suggests students start speaking to their supervisors and professors at least a year in advance of the application deadline to get a sense for who would be willing and able to write them the strongest letter.
Ask someone who knows you well—not someone who is well-known. Some applicants think getting an eminent psychologist to write a recommendation may help their application stand out. But actually, this strategy can often have the opposite effect if the letter-writer doesn't know them well, Prinstein says. A letter with few specific insights about a candidate can accidentally be perceived as faint praise, "which is kind of the kiss of death in most application processes," he says. A better option is to get a letter from someone who can capture your personality and work style, he says.
Share your story. University of Texas psychology professor Kevin Harris, PhD, says he will write a letter of recommendation for pretty much anyone who asks as long as they provide him with a brief "cheat sheet" with details about their experience, career goals and the strengths they want him to highlight. "It's good practice for them and it helps me to write a better and more competitive letter for them," he says.
It's also important to share up-to-date CVs or resumes so letter-writers can see what the applicant has been doing since they've worked together, says Julie Austen, PhD, who writes and reviews many recommendation letters as a psychologist with Piedmont Health in Chapel Hill, N.C. "Even if you have been working with them for a while, it might help you speak to the breadth of their experience," she says. "Sometimes I don't realize how much a student is doing beyond my practica or classroom."
Give your writer plenty of time. Make your letter request at least three months before the deadline for a graduate school admission recommendation and two months before a first job application deadline, says Darin Arsenault, PhD, a San Diego clinical psychologist who often writes letters for his trainees.
Then follow up with a gentle reminder email several days before each due date. It's also crucial to provide letter writers with a list of due dates, copies of any required forms and the URL or address for submitting the letter, so that he or she can focus on the content of the letter, and not on where to send it. And don't forget to thank the writer for his or her time and support once they've completed the letter.
Writing a letter
Focus on the facts. Begin with a brief paragraph that outlines the context and how long you've interacted with the applicant, Prinstein says. Discuss only what you know about the candidate—for example, you may be able to say they did well in your class, but don't discuss their qualifications as a researcher or clinician if you're not familiar with their skills in those areas. Also, discuss the candidate's specific qualities that are relevant to the application, and how they compare to others with a similar level of training. Illinois clinical psychologist Erin Liebich, PsyD, says she often discusses a trainee's work ethic, level of independence, and assessment skills and whether they collaborated well with clients, parents and other clinical staff.
"If a trainee has been able to carry a diverse caseload, build upon their experiences and my feedback, and maintain good professional relationships, I typically give them a strong endorsement," she says.
Bring the applicant to life. The best letters relay a brief anecdote or a rich example of how the applicant stands out, Prinstein says. "The really good letters are the ones that make you feel like you know the person," he says.
Write responsibly. It's also important not to overly praise a student in a recommendation letter, Arsenault says. Identifying a limitation, or "growth edge" and explaining how the graduate program or job could help the individual turn that into a strength can be seen by program and training directors as an important part of professional growth. Overly inflated recommendation letters were one reason why the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center moved to standardize recommendation letters for applicants in 2016. The new Standardized Reference Form includes a brief section where letter writers discuss areas for growth and development, and is designed to help level the playing field and produce more accurate matches.
Prinstein also advises writers to be honest if they have any reservations about an applicant's abilities. "The admissions process is certainly a good time for us to do a very careful job of deciding who is going to be a best fit to our field and who is not," he says. Share your concerns with the student first, Prinstein says. "But if they ask you to write the letter anyway, it's our duty and responsibility to the public that we're a little more honest in our letters."
Proofread it. Before sending the letter off, read it again. "Taking an extra few minutes can alleviate embarrassing problems and can work to ensure that you are doing the very best on behalf of your student," says Lorna London, PhD, a psychology professor at Roosevelt University.