Research LOR Checklist

[jlamacc1]

---

Members do not see this ad.

To insure that my lab director covers all the "important questions" in my letter of recommendation, I'm putting together a checklist for him to use. Some of the questions I'd like him to answer include: "How committed was the applicant to research?" and "Did the applicant improve his experimental/analytical skills considerably during his time in the lab? If so, how?"
Do you guys have any suggestions for other questions I should include in the checklist, or other advice on how I can guide my boss towards an effective LOR?

 

[PBandJ]

To insure that my lab director covers all the "important questions" in my letter of recommendation, I'm putting together a checklist for him to use. Some of the questions I'd like him to answer include: "How committed was the applicant to research?" and "Did the applicant improve his experimental/analytical skills considerably during his time in the lab? If so, how?"
Do you guys have any suggestions for other questions I should include in the checklist, or other advice on how I can guide my boss towards an effective LOR?

You may want to add:

"Is this applicant capable and eager to conduct independent research? How has he demonstrated that ability to you?"

or something along that line. If you're going for a combined degree program, they definitely want to know if you have a high potential for conducting independent research. A LOR is a great place to demonstrate that.

 

[meowkat444]

If the lab director knows you personally, you might want to have them discuss your professional attitude, performance under pressure, relations to others in lab, and commitment to service/helping others.

These are more for the medical school side of things, but we do have to be accepted there, too.

 

[strangeglove]

I would first make sure that your PI really wants such a checklist. Unless he asked you to give him one, I would caution against providing him with a list of things you would like him to say about you in a letter of recommendation. Most PIs write a lot of letters of recommendation, and they usually don't appreciate some undergraduate telling them how to do it. Remember that, in addition to your scientific skills, your PI will also comment on your personal qualities. You wouldn't want him to say something like "anxious and controlling". Of course, if he asked for this checklist, then by all means go ahead and give him one, though it would make me wonder how good of a letter he will write if he already doesn't know what constitutes a good letter.

 

[Ersatzious]

I would first make sure that your PI really wants such a checklist. Unless he asked you to give him one, I would caution against providing him with a list of things you would like him to say about you in a letter of recommendation. Most PIs write a lot of letters of recommendation, and they usually don't appreciate some undergraduate telling them how to do it. Remember that, in addition to your scientific skills, your PI will also comment on your personal qualities. You wouldn't want him to say something like "anxious and controlling". Of course, if he asked for this checklist, then by all means go ahead and give him one, though it would make me wonder how good of a letter he will write if he already doesn't know what constitutes a good letter.

Good point. My premedical committee had a required coversheet for the applicant to complete and provide each recommender that included instructions and a list of questions that the letter should ideally answer, which certainly eliminated the awkwardness of making "demands" on the contents of the letter. I would caution against providing such a checklist unless asked.

 

[ThatOne]

I would first make sure that your PI really wants such a checklist. Unless he asked you to give him one, I would caution against providing him with a list of things you would like him to say about you in a letter of recommendation. Most PIs write a lot of letters of recommendation, and they usually don't appreciate some undergraduate telling them how to do it. Remember that, in addition to your scientific skills, your PI will also comment on your personal qualities. You wouldn't want him to say something like "anxious and controlling". Of course, if he asked for this checklist, then by all means go ahead and give him one, though it would make me wonder how good of a letter he will write if he already doesn't know what constitutes a good letter.

👍 Seconded (Or Thirded, after Ersatzious)

 

[jlamacc1]

Well, I talked to my lab director and he's totally cool with a list of questions...any more suggestions?