An Essential Application Tip & 8 Featured Grants
Fellowships & Grants
Here are some featured Fellowships due in the next 6 to 8 weeks!
Humane Studies Fellowships - Due Feb. 10, 2025
The Humane Studies Fellowship is a renewable, non-residency award of up to $15,000 per year to support current or future students enrolled in full-time PhD programs. Intended for students interested in developing, teaching, and applying classical liberal ideas and the principles of a free society, this program supports research and teaching in both the social sciences and the humanities.
More Info HereRuth J. Simmons Postdoctoral Fellow for the Study of Slavery & Justice - Due Feb. 15, 2025
Brown University's Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice (CSSJ) invites applications for a one-year position as the Ruth J. Simmons Postdoctoral Fellow in Slavery & Justice. More Info Here
Curatorial Fellowship Program - Due Feb. 15, 2025
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) offers one fellowship to grad students who are interested in Curatorial studies. More Info Here
Dissertation Fellowships in Disability Policy Research - Due Feb. 17, 2025
Four dissertation fellowships will be offered to outstanding doctoral students from diverse fields conducting high-quality research in areas of significance to disability policy. More info Here
Grad Advice & Tips
Letters of recommendation are one of the most important parts of ANY application! But in my 10+ years of being in higher education, I never hear anyone talk about exactly about letters of recommendation!
So, let’s talk about why letters of rec are so important and when to ask for them so you can ensure you get the best quality of letters!
Why are Letters of Rec Important?
When it comes down to it, whether you are applying to grad school, fellowships or jobs there are always going to be a ton of people applying for those things too.
And of course, when we write our cover letters or research narratives, we are making sure to present ourselves in the BEST LIGHT POSSIBLE!
But so is everyone else, so applications request letters of rec to see if what we are saying matches what others would say about us. And I know you are probably thinking, “Wait doesn’t every letter of rec say basically all the same nice things?”
The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! If you are not careful about from whom you are requesting letters, you can definitely end up with not-so-favorable letters.
Some faculty are spiteful and don’t want their students to succeed so they may unwillingly write a letter and say negative things while they do it! Other faculty may be just so busy that their letters sound generic, and the review committees don’t think very much of it. Or some letters are great!
The point is you want to make sure you are choosing writers that genuinely want the best for you!
When and How to Ask for Letters?
When? Well, I always suggest a minimum of 6 weeks before the due date to request a letter of recommendation. This way they have over a month to find time to sit down and write a letter of substance.
I personally give more like 2 whole months of notice when I can. This is because a lot of professors are writing anywhere from 2-10 different letters at a time and so they may need to actually move their schedule around to accommodate new requests.
Though it is a special balancing act. You don’t want to ask so early that they forget! But not too late so they feel rushed or inconvenienced.
Now when you ask you want to be respectful and not assume they will say yes. So I always try to have a few extra “back-up” letter writers just in case.
Whether you ask in-person or via email doesn’t matter! Though if you ask in-person and they say yes, I would follow up with an email confirming everything and including important details.
When you ask you should:
Greet them kindly and politely ask “Would you have the capacity to write a letter of recommendation for me?”
Include the due date in a very obvious way. I usually include it in the subject line and bold it within the email.
Introduce the grant/application/fellowship that you are applying to (1-3 Sentences) I would include a link to the application information for their reference.
Offer any supplemental materials they may need to write the letters (for example: your CV or personal statement) Do not send these materials until they are requested though.
I am a libra so I also put a sentence that acknowledges that they may be busy, and it is okay to reject. But I realize this isn’t necessary, since the point is that you are asking. But if you get anxious about asking for things this might help! (But no more than one sentence.)
Then thank them for their consideration
This is the basic formula I use, and it usually only comes out to 5-8 sentences MAX!
If they say no, do not feel bad! You DO NOT want someone who cannot or does not want to write a letter for you… writing a letter for you! It’s just a disaster waiting to happen.
Now if you are interested in how to strategize on who to ask, then you should watch this YouTube video!
Jobs & Postdocs
Did you know!?
Academic jobs for junior scholars (scholars that recently graduated or are about to graduate with their PhD) often require 3 to 5 letters of recommendation.
Quite often PhD students ask their committee members to be their letter writers and for the most part that is how it is supposed to go.
BUT! That is not always the case. For many people for a variety of different reasons their committee members are not the best people to ask for letters of recommendation.
When I first went on to the job market, I was a little nervous to ask people who were not on my committee for letters! But what I found out pretty quickly is that people who genuinely like and support you are better writers than people who are only writing out of obligation.
So, do not feel bad about asking your committee for letters, that is part of their responsibilities, and they know that!
But also, if you do not trust or feel comfortable with your committee writing your letters you DO NOT HAVE TO! Ask your faculty mentors and former professors that know your research and your value!
Jobs don’t seem to care who they letters come from as long as they are professors. And people who love and support you and your work are usually enthusiastic about telling people how great you are! So, its okay to skip the formality of begging for your committee to support you, (if they aren’t really supportive) and focus on those who are!
Featured Student Discounts & Affiliate Links
These links are items I use and love or resources that might make grad school easier for you! If you use these affiliate links, you get the products you need (sometimes at a discount!) and I get a small commission that will help support these free resources!
Join Samsung's Education Discount Program and get 30% off storewide!
Get 50% Off Your First 2 GoPuff Orders
(If you know other student discounts please leave them in the comments!)
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