Effective Grad School Recommendation Letters

Youve been asked to write a letter of recommendation. No easy task. What makes a recommendation letter good? Effective letters of recommendation have these 8 characteristics in common. 8 Simple Characteristics to Feature Explains how you know the student. What is the context for your evaluation? Was the student in your class, an advisee, a research assistant?Evaluates the student within your area of knowledge. Within the context in which you know the student, how did he or she perform? How effective is a research assistant?Evaluates the students academic capacity. This is easy if the student was in your class. What if the student is not? You can refer to his or her transcript, but only very briefly as the committee will have a copy. Dont waste space talking about the objective material they already have. Talk about your experience with the student. If a research assistant, you should have some grasp on his or her academic competence. If an advisee, refer briefly to your discussions and provide clear examples that illustrate academic potential. If you have little as academic contact with the student, then make a broad evaluative statement and use evidence from another area to support. For example, I e xpect Stu Dent to be a meticulous student, as he keeps very careful and accurate records as the Biology Club Treasurer.Evaluates the students motivation. Graduate study entails more than academic skills. Its a long haul that takes a great deal of perseverance.Evaluates the students maturity and psychological competence. Is the student mature enough to accept the responsibility and manage the inevitable criticisms and even failures that will accompany graduate study?Discusses the students strengths. What are his or her most positive attributes? Provide examples to illustrate.Its detailed. One of the most important things you can do in improving the effectiveness f your letter is to make it as detailed as possible. Dont just tell them about the student, show them. Dont just say that the student can understand complex topics or work well with others, provide detailed examples that illustrate your point.Its honest. Remember that although you want the student to get into graduate school, it is your name that is on the line. If the student really isnt a good fit for graduate study and you recommend him anyway, the faculty at that school potentially could remember and in the future take your letters less seriously. All in all, a good letter is highly positive and detailed. Remember that a neutral letter will not help your student. Recommendation letters, in general, are very positive. Because of that, neutral letters are viewed as negative letters. If you cant write a glowing letter of recommendation, then the most honest thing that you can do for your student is to tell him or her and decline their request to write a letter.

Essay on The Development Relief and Education for Alien...

Undocumented students are unable to further their education after completing the public education system. The Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) was created by a proposal to cease penalizing children of illegal immigrants who were brought over to the United States by their parents at an early age. The DREAM Act includes many requirements that are necessary to be considered an applicant. The DREAM Act must be implemented in order to provide hard-working individuals greater opportunities, due to the fact that undocumented students are discriminated by cause of their illegal status. Over sixty-five thousand undocumented high school students graduate each year. Many undocumented students drop out of high†¦show more content†¦In addition to attending college, they must serve two years in the armed forces. The DREAM Act helps provide undocumented students financial assistance when attending college. Being undocumented presents many challenges i n education. Undocumented students face many obstacles throughout their lives because of their undocumented status. Being undocumented allows many people to discriminate against illegal individuals (Jones 1). Limits are put on undocumented students leaving them with a lower quality of education. Illegal immigrants are being driven out of the country, leaving the United States suffering economically (Peà ±a 1). Deportation is being summoned in order to try and repair the economic downfall of the United States. Undocumented students live with constant fear of being deported at any given time (Jones 1). They are unaware of how long they will be able to stay in the education system. Undocumented students do not possess the same rights as documented citizens (Jones 1). Many of the students are unable to afford college because they are not allowed to pay in-state tuitions. Immigrants are being forced out of their jobs (Peà ±a 1). Lacking an income, students are unable to afford going to college. Undocumented students cannot acquire any form of federal aid unlike citizens (Palacios 1). They have difficulties moving forward academically. Not being able to attend college after high school prevents students from being able toShow MoreRelatedThe Dream Act ( Development, Relief And Education For Alien Minors974 Words   |  4 Pagescountry, whether through the economy, education, work, or military services. Immigrants continue to move to the US so that they can live better lives. The DREAM ACT is very important and it should be pass to give opportunities these illegal children. The DREAM ACT (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) is proposed legislation that allows young and high achieving illegal immigrants to serve in the US military, and continue with higher education. This action will open opportunities forRead MoreThe Debate On Immigration Reform958 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract: Until the bill passed, much of the debate surrounding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM Act, brought about legal, ethical, and logistical concerns. Illegal immigration and the population unauthorized alien in the United States were key issues in the ongoing debate on immigration reform. However, the benefits of this bill outweighed its disadvantages. Immigration policies in the United States concerning undocumented workers are strict and direct. EmployersRead MoreImmigration And Illegal Immigration1106 Words   |  5 Pagesimmigrants relocate to the United States annually (Storesletten, 2000). US Customs and Border Control offici als, have witnessed a significant increase in the number of â€Å"unaccompanied alien minors† from Latin America, anticipating 75,000 minors (if not more) from 2016 to 2017 (Rush, 2016). The average age for â€Å"unaccompanied alien minors† is 11 years old, of which more than a third are girls (NCSL, 2014). Children who migrate to the United States at a young age face challenges such as; school enrollment, obtainingRead MoreEffects Of The Printing Press1158 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a controversial initiative in the United States that grants minor immigrants residency in the country and ensures that their educational needs are met. While the act has claimed to be beneficial to a certain portion of the population, it is widely argued that the program’s cost-effectiveness and societal effects have been unproven since its inception, and therefore; an alternative program is needed to fulfill the gap . The followingRead Moreimmigration debate920 Words   |  4 Pagesenactment of the DREAM Act. Republicans however have strongly opposed it and have left little hope for any reform for illegal immigrants. However not passing the DREAM Act and stalling on reform for illegal immigrants is doing an injustice to these immigrants and most importantly to American citizens. Today many US citizens suffer from a depleting economy and anything that can help revive it should and must be done. I see the DREAM Act as a great opportunity to aid and provide relief to the economy. Read MoreThe DREAM Act Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesUS illegally by their parents when they were children, and have the status of an illegal immigrant. Despite the fact that these individuals have lived their entire lives in the US, this immigration status hinders their ability to obtain a higher education. Although an immigrant may have been residing in the state for years, they are not allowed to receive in-state tui tion for college and must pay the high out of state or the international student tuition instead. Due to the fact that they are illegalRead MoreEssay on Children Who Have a Dream900 Words   |  4 PagesDream Act bill was introduced to congress. Over the past ten years there has been a major conflict between Democrats, who are for passing of the bill, and Republicans, who are against passing this bill. This has lead to it always being defeated because it has not been able to receive the two-thirds majority vote that it needs to be passed. The most recent failed vote of this bill was December of 2010. The DREAM Act is also known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. ThereRead MoreUndocumented Students From The United States1491 Words   |  6 Pagesconsideration, undocumented students are â€Å"foreign national individuals who entered the United States without inspection or with fraudulent documents.† There are programs to make it easier for und ocumented students to attain an education like the DREAM Act. Although the DREAM Act is in effect, this is still not enough for undocumented students to attend good colleges and get the same rights as a citizen of the United States. Undocumented students should live their life normally and get the same rightsRead MoreDream Act or Nightmare Act?1073 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act of 2011, proposes to allow children of undocumented immigrants that were brought to the United States before their fifteenth birthday who have lived in America for at least five years straight to apply for permanent residency once they graduate from high school or achieve a GED. Conditionally, these children must be admitted into a college and complete a two-year degree or serve two years in the military. They must also beRead MoreAlien Minors Act921 Words   |  4 Pages The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act was introduc ed in 2001, with yet to be completely passed into law, and was created in order to allow current, former, and future undocumented high-school graduates and GED recipients to pursue a three-step pathway to gain U.S. citizenship through work, college, or the armed services. The first step of this plan regards the recipient’s conditional permanent residence, meaning they have residential status for up to eight years. Secondly, the

Advance Directives Free Essays

What are advance directives? Advance directives are extremely important. It is essential that everyone make some sort of arrangement before an unfortunate situation happens to them where these decisions will need to be made. An advance directive is basically a living will or a written statement in which people state the type and amount of care they wish to receive during a terminal illness and as death approaches. We will write a custom essay sample on Advance Directives or any similar topic only for you Order Now Medical Law and Ethics stated that â€Å"Advance directives limit the type and amount of medical care and treatment that patients will receive if they should become incompetent and have a poor prognosis. It is important that directives are placed in writing; it is not sufficient for a person to just tell someone what his or her wishes for treatment are. The courts typically enforce written advance directives. † (pg 313) There are four types of advance directives. They are a living will, durable power of attorney for healthcare, uniform anatomical gift act, and a do not resuscitate order. The living will is a â€Å"document that a person drafts before becoming incompetent or unable to make healthcare decisions. † The durable power of attorney for healthcare is â€Å"A legal document that empowers another person (proxy) to make healthcare decisions for healthcare for an incompetent patient. It goes into effect after the person becomes incompetent and only pertains to healthcare decisions. † The uniform anatomical gift act is a â€Å"law that allows persons 18 years or older and of sound mind to make a gift of any part of their body for purposes of medical research or transplantation. † The do not resuscitate order is â€Å"an order placed into a person’s medical chart or medical record. It indicates that the person does not wish to be resuscitated if breathing stops. † (pg 103) How to cite Advance Directives, Essay examples

Essay on No Smoking Day

Question: Write an essay on health promotion "Essay on No Smoking Day"? Answer: This particular essay is concentrating on a recent health promotion No Smoking Day: 11th Marchthe day you start to stop for the people of East Lancashire (Lancashirecare.nhs.uk, 2015). It is the fact that Smoking habit is treacherous for health. There are several aspects that clarify the need for quit of smoking habit. Through this promotional campaign, it exemplifies how individual people will be benefitted by quitting smoking. The promotional campaign is tried to incorporate motivation theory inherently. Here, the main aim of this promotional campaign is to remind individual how quit of smoking habit, can really help them through the tough time. This indicates that the promotional campaign is trying to raise awareness, which supports a social change in the long run (PHE), 2015). The policy regarding no smoking not only helps to get healthier life but also a wealthier too. As per the campaign, it is noted that after one day of quitting smoking, an individual will have 8.50 pound, through which he or she can rent two movie or can downloaded a new album. At the same time, a one month break from smoking helps individual to save near about 255 pound, with which he or she can buy a Premiership football tickets or can arrange a weekend break (Keshavarz, 2013). On the other hand, as far health is concerned, it can be said that quitting smoking habit supports individual to improve heart rate as well as blood pressure level. Not only has that, this also helps to improve the breathing habits, which ultimately reduces the risk related to coronary heart disease. There is a range of polices related to smoking that this promotional campaign tired to explore within the community. Through this campaign, the NHS foundation trust aims to provide behavioral support as well as access to treatment. They have provided ring for service with specifying two numbers: 01772 644474 for Central Lancashire and 01254 283370 for East Lancashire. At the same time they have started a free phone service 0800 328 6297 (Nhs.uk, 2015). It is the fact that while considering the wider determinant of health, there is requiring identifying three major aspects such as the social and economic environment, the physical environment and the individual behavioral aspect. Now, if the smoking is considered in the context of social and economic environment, then it can be said that there are a list of aspects an individual can experience. First of all, due to the smoking habit, people will have limited social support. This will ultimately affect the income level of that particular person. At the same time, this also leads to low educational opportunities. In this context, it is noted that there is a strong relation exists between smoking and depression. Both epidemiological as well as clinical studies have shown that the posttraumatic stress disorder or the PTSD is mainly occurring due to smoking habits (Klausner, 2011). Again, if the environmental aspect is being considered here, then it can be said that Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has followed a fact sheet, which explains that each and every year, 2.6 billion kilograms carbon di oxides has been released on air through smoking (Ash.org.uk, 2015). At the same time, smoking also releases 5.2 billion kilograms methane each and every year. Deforestation is another aspect of smoking. Keeping these aspects in mind, it can be said that this health promotion to stop smoking habits are very much significant in the perspective of current trends of biostatistics, which remarkably demonstrate that almost fifty lacks people are affected by the posttraumatic stress disorder or the PTSD in the year of 2014. It also explained that if there is no such effective approaches are taken for counteracting this critical situation, the population of older adults, affected by the posttraumatic stress disorder or the PTSD diseases, might reach almost 14 million by the year of 2050 (Who.int, 2015). After the various clinical studies, it can also review that there is a strapping connection between cigarette smoking and socio-economic group. Smoking has been recognized as the solitary prevalent source of inequality in death rates among high income and low income people in the UK. Not only has that, this also records for more than half of the differentiation in hazard of untimely loss among communal classes. In this context, it is also evidenced that demise rates from tobacco are remains sufficiently higher position in compared to other hazards aspects that the community evidenced over the time frame (Mantoura, 2012). Long term smoking habits and the various potential symptoms of depression as well as PTSD diseases are very much interrelated. This type of aspects can raise the risk of various fundamental systematic disorders like stroke, traumatic injury of brain, which can simultaneously leads to the possibilities of disorder in the context of the cognitive abilities (Health Promotion International. 2011). There is a list of people as well as authorities engaged to stop this smoking habit. First of all, the NHS foundation tried to implement several policies to reduce smoking through accessing a list of free services. Besides, the Public Health England also introduced tobacco control policies that will also reduce the smoking rate. Another authority named as QUIT also takes preventive steps to stop smoking all over the UK (QUIT, 2015). Thus, it can be said that such systematic health promotion is concerned about some fundamental activities for taking the necessary initiatives for the scientific development of different approaches relating to the healthy behaviour as well as for counteracting the various societal disorders. These fundamental activities are as follows like, development of the outline, on the base of which the various way of promoting the task of initiation regarding the healthy brain through the partnership of the sate as well as national level in the perspective of the relevant road map for the public health, which approaches taken for the five years. It mainly deals with the various kinds of approaches by the help of which, interesting prospect can be represented for the better impact as well as awareness in the older age people regarding the healthy life style as well as various adverse effect of smoking. It also including the various characteristics for the analyzing the essential requirement of the health care provider, who specially deals with stop smoking and develop the relevant management plan. References: (PHE), P., 2015.Local Tobacco Control Profiles for England. [online] Tobaccoprofiles.info. Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015]. Ash.org.uk, 2015.Smoking and health inequalities. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015]. Health Promotion International. (2011). Health Promotion International, 26(1), 129-131. doi:10.1093/heapro/dar010 Keshavarz, N. (2013). Health Promotion Thinking, Interpretation and Implementation in Iran: Capacities, and the Way Forward. Health Scope, 2(1), X-X. doi:10.5812/jhs.10642 Klausner, K. (2011). Menthol cigarettes and smoking initiation: a tobacco industry perspective. Tobacco Control, 20(Supplement 2), ii12-ii19. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.041954 Lancashirecare.nhs.uk, 2015.Health Promotion Calendar 2015. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015]. Mantoura, P., Potvin, L. (2012). A realist-constructionist perspective on participatory research in health promotion. Health Promotion International, 28(1), 61-72. doi:10.1093/heapro/das037 Nhs.uk, 2015.10 self-help tips to help you stop smoking - Live Well - NHS Choices. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015]. QUIT, 2015.QUIT Get Time Back. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015]. Who.int, 2015.WHO | The determinants of health. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Aug. 2015].