Writing letters of recommendation is part of my job as a professor, and I am happy to support WWU students along their journey to graduate school in psychology and related disciplines. If you are a research assistant (RA) in the THRIVE lab, please refer to our internal lab website for what information to include in your request for a letter.

I am often asked to write letters of recommendation to grad school by undergraduate students who take my courses (e.g., PSY 351, PSY 306).  As a general rule, I do not write letters of recommendation to grad school for undergraduates who have been enrolled in my courses for one quarter or less, because even if they were an excellent student who actively participated in class and produced sophisticated written assignments, I can only say in my letter that they were a great student.  This is something that could be captured with a GPA, and is not usually substantial enough to carry weight with a graduate admissions committee (as most letters of recommendation are positive).  In contrast, for undergraduate students who have worked with me as RAs in the THRIVE lab for a year or more, I can speak with much greater depth and breadth to the student’s academic, scholarly, interpersonal, managerial, communication, and problem-solving skills.

That being said, if you are an undergraduate student who has distinguished yourself in one of my courses and who is applying for merit-based departmental scholarships and awards, I would be happy to consider your request to serve as a reference.

If you are interested in applying to graduate school in psychology, I encourage you to pursue training opportunities in college that are relevant to your program of interest (e.g., as an RA in a research lab if you want a PhD, or as an intern or volunteer in human service settings if you want a clinical/practitioner degree like a Master’s in counseling).  If you do not yet have such experiences, you may need to work more on gaining relevant experiences prior to applying to graduate school.

For more information tailored to your specific circumstances, please check in with your Psychology Major Advisor!