Advice on applying Graduate School: Graduate Study in Psychology: Letters of Reference
Advice on applying Graduate School: Fewer foreign students coming to U.S.
1. Develop good relationships with your professors. Try to get to know 3 or 4 on a fairly close basis. Some graduate schools want 3 letters of reference, some want 4. Graduate schools know what a generic letter sounds like, so you want your professors to know you a little bit better than "oh yeah, that kid who sat in the front row of my class who got an A-." 2. Get the most prestigious faculty you can to write your letters. It really helps if the people on the admissions committee at the school you're applying to know one of your recommenders. If you're applying to a cognitive psych program, for example, try to get a well-known cognitive psychologist to write one of your letters. Unfortunately, academic psychologists are as swayed by hearsay and "who you know" prejudices as anyone else--if you have a good recommendation from someone who is respected, you have a huge advantage over someone with similarly good qualifications who was not recommended by a well-known psychologist. 3. It is best to ask professors for letters in person. Try emailing them and setting up an appointment, then politely ask them for a letter at the appointment. Some professors consider it very rude to ask for a letter by email, so be careful. 4. Remember that by asking for a letter you are asking the professor for a big favor--you should approach it as such. Writing thank you notes after the fact is a good idea. 5. Once you're ready to apply, give your recommenders your resume and any other information you have that you think might help them write about what a great person you are and how much potential you have for grad school. 6. While all of your letter writers don't have to be faculty, it's a really good idea to have the majority be professors--psych professors, that is. You might have, for example, an English professor do one of your letters simply because she can attest to your writing ability, but most of your recommenders should be psychologists--graduate students or college or university professors--people who know what graduate school is about and have some idea about whether you really have what it takes to be successful there. 7. While it's not essential, try not to have all male or all female recommenders. Some people might believe that a mix of letters from both male and female recommenders indicates that you work well with both. 8. If you're applying to some type of mental health program (e.g., clinical, counseling, social work) and you've had a job in mental health, it's a very good idea to have your job supervisor write one of the letters. I wouldn't recommend more than one letter from your employment, though: most recommenders should be college or university faculty. 9. Give the professors writing your letters very brief and clear instructions, and make sure you provide all of the envelopes and postage they need. (It is pretty impolite to ask someone to write a letter for you and then not provide the postage.) When they're done, send them a thank you card--they've done you a big favor (well, assuming they wrote you a good letter, anyway). 10. It is very rare that someone will write you a bad letter--many professors will simply tell you that they don't think they can write you a good letter (or more likely, don't have time, etc., etc.). If a professor hints at the fact that they don't think they have much to say about you or that they have a few concerns, they might be trying to tell you that they don't have the very best impression of you. It won't hurt to ask a professor directly, "Do you think you can write a positive letter for me?" If you're astute, you should be able to figure out whether you really want a particular person to write you a letter or not. 11. Finally, go ahead and tell your professors that your deadlines are earlier than they really are, and then give them the letters about 6 weeks before you tell them they're due. When I applied to grad school, I told one professor that the deadline was December 1st (the actual deadline was January 15th). I gave him the letter in the middle of October. Guess when it was finally mailed? The middle of February! And from what I hear, this happens a lot more than it should.
By JENN STEWART Scripps Howard Foundation Wire March 28, 2004
- Each year, thousands of foreign graduate students come to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Often, they are inspired by democracy and motivated by capitalism.
For many, in 2004, the dream is fading.
More than 90 percent of American colleges and universities report declines in the number of applications they received from foreign scholars for next fall's classes, according to a report published this month by the Council of Graduate Schools. Colleges reported admitting 32 percent fewer foreign graduate students than for the current academic year.
After earning two degrees in New Delhi, Ram Mohan left everything behind in 1989 and came to the United States to earn a doctorate in chemistry. His traditional Indian, middle-class upbringing taught him "the single most important thing one can possess is a solid education."
"I think the main reason was, and still is, that this is the best place to pursue a higher education," Mohan said. "Hard work pays, and if you are good there is nothing that can stop you in this country."
Mohan, an associate professor of chemistry at Illinois Wesleyan University, said that without his education at the University of Maryland he would probably still be in India where "there is less opportunity."
No one can tell for certain why foreign students are deciding against an American education, but there are many theories.
One of the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackers was living in the country on a student visa. Since then, the dynamics of coming to the United States have changed.
"The problem here is that it is very difficult to ask people that don't show up why they didn't show up," said Peter Syverson, the Council of Graduate Schools' vice president for research.
The council worked with international student advisers and graduate admissions officials and found three major reasons: the difficult process of obtaining a visa, the perception that the United States is not welcoming to foreign students and the rising costs of higher education here.
The report showed that the most severe drops in foreign applications were from the countries and regions that usually send the most students: China, India and the Middle East. Of the universities polled, 85 percent had fewer Chinese applicants and 69 percent had fewer Indian applicants.
The report also found that the programs most affected by the trend were engineering and physical sciences.
This may be partly attributed to the Visas Mantis program, established in 1989 to screen students applying for programs that the government believes might contribute to the illegal transfer of sensitive technology.
"The mechanics of getting to the U.S. ... are much more difficult," Syverson said. "We hear that more than any other reason, just the visa process."
Any student wishing to study in this country is required to obtain a visa. The process begins with an application and an interview, which many students had been able to bypass pre-9/11. After a review, the U.S. consulate decides either to award a visa or require a Mantis check by the FBI and the State Department.
Meanwhile, other English-speaking countries are reaping the benefits.
In Australia, for the current academic year, international student enrollment at both the graduate and undergraduate level increased 16.5 percent, according to the Australian Government International Education Network.
The United States saw growth of less than 1 percent for the current academic year for graduate and undergraduate students, according to a report published by the Institute of International Education.
"I think, basically, Australia is coming forward as a premier destination for students," said Carri Orrison, manager of information services at the Australian Education Office at the U.S. embassy. "It took a couple of years."
Syverson said he fears that the repercussions could get worse.
"If the U.S. is no longer the place that international students want to come to, will we miss the best and the brightest? Will we be hurt by that?" he said.
