This may be a stupid question but is the references section on the PTCAS application the section where I put the people/PTs I want to get Letters of Recommendation from? or how do I go about getting LORs?
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References section on PTCAS application
Started by FuhLeePlay
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This may be a stupid question but is the references section on the PTCAS application the section where I put the people/PTs I want to get Letters of Recommendation from? or how do I go about getting LORs?
Sometimes you just gotta come out and ask them. It can be scary because some of these people (specifically the professors) can be really intimidating. Ask in person, face to face...They will only say no for two reasons pretty much (from what I could gather) A. They don't know you well enough to write a proper one (and you need a proper one so they would be doing you a favor if they said this!) OR B. They are flat out too busy with other work. If they do, you can do it in one of two ways: they can either write a physical copy in which you will have to send to all your schools which would be a pain in the butt OR you can do it the simple way through PTCAS. There will be a section in which you give PTCAS the emails/phone numbers/names of the people who will be writing a LoR for you. Once you submit that, PTCAS will send out an email to these individuals on your behalf with a section for them to write their LoR for you and submit it. You will get an email from PTCAS notifying you that the LoR was submitted on behalf of your professor/PT. Much easier this way and you will know when it is submitted by them and received. Also, keep in mind, you will be asked if you would like to read the LoR that was written for you. PTCAS will advise you NOT to read it. As much as your curiosity will kill you to want to read it, do not read it. It will hurt you because in their eyes, you viewing it questions your trust in your source which then tells them "hmm...this student must be worried about something with that professor/PT...did they do something wrong during their experiences?' I know its extreme but it is how they will think about it.
Getting a LoR from a PT is usually fairly easy...I would go to where you volunteered the most with a single PT that you got to know. PTs are usually good about it. Professors on the other hand... Are there any professors that know you well? Have you had a single professor for multiple classes that got to know you personally? Have you volunteered for any organizations or research groups that are run by professors? These are all good ways to get to know professors well enough for a LoR. I will always swear by volunteering for a research lab in the movement sciences. Not only can it grant you a great LoR from the lead professor, but going into an interview saying you have research experience will really score you brownie points - even if all you did was stand there and collect data for a few hours. Not to mention, professors than run research labs are usually the most reputable as well which also gives you more of an edge.
If you haven't volunteered for a research lab and want to before the next application cycle opens, you still have a few months which should be just enough time...but you need to contact those professors NOW and start volunteering ASAP so they get to know you!
Hope this helps!
