who to pick for LOR

[Schy]

Hello! 

 

I know there is a forum for these specific questions, but I'm sure the answer winds up different for each field. 

I feel like I'm in a pickle. The first time I applied to PhD programs (two years ago) I was apart of 2 labs and I had my current full time job. It wound up being an easy 3 letters. Unfortunately I had to quit volunteering at one of the labs because there just weren't enough hours in the day. So that was one academic/research LOR gone.  Last year, I had my research mentor write me a LOR, my boss at my full time job wrote me one, and I then had a part time job as a behavior technician and my BCBA wrote me a letter. I left that job in the Winter of 2019 because my volunteer position at the lab turned into a paid one. Now I feel like I only have two options for people to write me letters. My research mentor who I've worked very closely with these past few years and my boss at my full time job (where I've worked for 8+ years). I'm not sure if it's out of the question for me to get in touch with my old BCBA and ask her if she would mind writing me a letter? Or if I should just get two letters of recommendation from my full time job (one from my boss and one from the owner of the company). I almost feel like it's too late to get in touch with the old lab I had to leave and I also feel like it's beyond rude to offer to help out just in hope that I'll get a letter of rec. 

I plan on bringing this up to my research mentor as well, but I wanted to see if any of you had any insight or advice on what might be the better option. 

 

TIA! 

[PsyDuck90]

I don't see anything wrong with asking the faculty who runs one of the old labs. As long as you left on good terms, you not currently working with them doesn't negate all the work you have done with them or their ability to speak to the quality of your research skills. For PhD programs, I think LORs from research mentors may be more valued than letters from psych-adjacent clinical work. 

[Schy]

2 minutes ago, PsyDuck90 said:

I don't see anything wrong with asking the faculty who runs one of the old labs. As long as you left on good terms, you not currently working with them doesn't negate all the work you have done with them or their ability to speak to the quality of your research skills. For PhD programs, I think LORs from research mentors may be more valued than letters from psych-adjacent clinical work. 

I agree about the value of letters from research mentors. I guess it won't hurt to draft up an email to her and see where it leads. thank you! 

[Clinapp2017]

Agree with the others assuming you are on good terms. Specifically, you should ask if they can write a strong letter of rec. Nothing is worse than neutral LORs that are boring (besides maybe a LOR that states you should not take the applicant). 

 

When you get in touch, I recommend maybe asking if they want to chat over the phone/zoom briefly, and attach an updated CV so they can know what you are up to. I had a professor I only took one class from in college (which I loved) write me a LOR; we did not talk a lot, but he was enthusiastic about writing me a letter because he loved my class project and I got the highest grade in the class. We probably had not talked for like 1.5 years before I applied, so I offered to highlight things I would like him to mention specifically on my CV and I even wrote a few "draft" paragraphs for him to have a skeleton. That's a good suggestion, too, if you are worried about the LOR being a time-suck for your former mentor. 

 

Hope this helps!