Recommendations and Graduate School/Career Planning
We’re happy to set up appointments with you to discuss graduate school/future plans. All members of the FTRG are excellent resources for input about future plans. If you would like to meet with a specific FTRG staff member, please email the Externship Logistics POC so that she can coordinate an appointment for you.
To be eligible for a letter of recommendation, you must have first completed a minimum of one semester at our externship. If you satisfy this condition, you may then submit a request via Google Forms. You will only have ONE year after you leave the lab to request a letter of recommendation and you must submit all materials at least 45 days before your first letter of recommendation is due (no exceptions). Below are the materials requested:
Statement of purpose about why you are applying to school/program
Unofficial or official transcript
Updated resume/CV
Writing sample (can be a paper you wrote for a psychology class)
List of schools in which you are applying (+ deadlines for each school and whether it is an electronic submission or hard copy submission)
Your performance in the lab, adherence to lab protocol, maturity, professionalism, integrity, tardiness, last minute absences, are all considered in this decision. Remember that not all letters of recommendation are created equal. Receiving a letter of recommendation is a privilege, not a right. Meaning, it is not guaranteed that we at FTRG will be willing to write you a letter. A letter that simply says you completed your hours and passed the course will not be very helpful in the future. Frequent absences, chronic lateness, poor work ethic, poor attitude, etc. will result in a mediocre letter of recommendation at best. Therefore, please do not begin sending us online links for schools before we agree. If we agree, you will receive one letter from FTRG, which would include all supervisors’ input.
Note: Recommendations are not directly handed to students. Two options are available, depending on the externs’ needs:
School wants recommendation sent to school. Externs must send electronic links for letter submissions to FTRGExternship@nyu.edu unless otherwise instructed.
Student wants recommendation to be put “on file.” This option is available for those students who aren’t applying to graduate school right away and want a letter to remain on file for when the time comes to apply. Letters and materials are kept on file and can always be updated if necessary. You will need to submit the Recommendation Google Form with your unofficial transcript(s), current resume, and writing sample. And then when you do have schools/jobs in mind, update us still 45 days in advance with your statement of purpose and list of schools with deadlines. It is highly recommended that you submit your recommendation request as soon as possible if you think you might need one in the future.