Need advice on LOR for international students!

[surlefil]

Hi! I'm planning to apply for a PhD in Philosophy this year and I'm Latin American, so I really need advice about letters of recommendation! In my country writing such letters is not at all common, and even when they are required, they are super short and quite formal. I heard the type of letter graduate schools ask for is not only about academic stuff but also about you being a committed and nice person. Is that so? What do I need to tell my professors when I ask for their letters? What kind of 'instructions' should I give them? How am I supposed to be presented if my professors are unknowns to the graduate committee? What is considered a good letter, besides the fact that they should say good things about you?

Well, any piece of advice will be welcome!

Thank you very much in advance!

[hj2012]

Depending on your cultural context, this may or may not work in your country. But in the country where I work as an admissions consultant (in East Asia), we usually have the students make a "packet" of relevant info for their professors. This includes a description of the schools and programs that the student is applying to, as well as an explanation of what kind of information the letter of recommendation should contain. The student also types up a "press release" of sorts, which describes his/her main accomplishments and qualities that should be highlighted in the letter. Depending on how comfortable the student feels about this, we also give "sample" LORs for professors to look at. We have our own in-house samples, but feel free to use Google to find examples of good LORs to give to your professors. For example, https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472031887-appendixg.pdf.

 

If there is a language barrier, you could also have the professor write in your native language and get it certified/translated. But this would also cost you money and time! 

 

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[surlefil]

Thanks a lot! The thing with searching for samples in Google is that there are more samples of LOR for MAs and MBAs than for PhDs. I believe there is a difference because personal skills such as leadership are important in an MBA but not at all for a PhD in philosophy.

The packet method is very good, I'll use it!

[hj2012]

Glad to be of help! This blog might be of help, since it's specifically geared toward Philosophy.

 

http://schwitzsplinters.blogspot.kr/2007/09/applying-to-philosophy-phd-programs_20.html

 

Good luck!

[Crucial BBQ]

 we usually have the students make a "packet" of relevant info for their professors. This includes a description of the schools and programs that the student is applying to, as well as an explanation of what kind of information the letter of recommendation should contain. The student also types up a "press release" of sorts, which describes his/her main accomplishments and qualities that should be highlighted in the letter.

I have had professors here in the U.S. request similar information.  They wanted me to give them as much info as possible including the press release, courses taken, CV/resume, and so on.  

[Thesis]

Hi, probably you are lucky ! the fact that you will be able to tell your LOR writers what to write and what to tell is to be considered as a chance! The most important thing in your LOR is to be personalized, they have to focus on your abilities and skills but also on you being a nice person, if they could tell some stories, examples or anecdotes, that would be great. Here http://www.letterofrecommendation.biz/ you can get some real nice help about the writing.

Good luck surlefil !

[surlefil]

Thesis

Hi, probably you are lucky ! the fact that you will be able to tell your LOR writers what to write and what to tell is to be considered as a chance! The most important thing in your LOR is to be personalized, they have to focus on your abilities and skills but also on you being a nice person, if they could tell some stories, examples or anecdotes, that would be great. Here http://www.letterofrecommendation.biz/ you can get some real nice help about the writing.

Good luck surlefil !

Hi! Thanks so much for your inputs. Maybe it is a good thing to be able to tell my LOR writers what to write! About telling that I am a nice person, is that necessary? I didn't think it was important until I read a bunch of posts and stuff about LOR, but then I got convinced again it was not important when I was told talking about personality is important in MBA or that kind of other graduate programs. Do you know for sure we should be described as people as much as being described as academics?