Looking For Strong Academic References

[quicksilver]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm working on requests for reference letters, and the professor I'm looking to get an academic reference from has anyone seeking a recommendation from her fill out a form so she can get a good idea of your personal and academic strengths and weaknesses, and the reasons you're applying to your chosen program. 

 

For example, she asks for things like your GPA, tests scores (eg. GRE, MCAT, GMAT, etc.), courses you've taken that are relevant to her field of expertise (in her case, psychology, math and stats courses), and the grades you received in those courses, descriptions of any research projects or internships you've done, why you think you're a good fit for the program you're applying to, and so on.

 

One of the questions she asks is why you think she'll be able to write you a strong reference letter. I took one of her classes and did well in it, I participated during class, and I currently volunteer in her lab. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice in terms of what kinds of things I should allude to when I answer this question beyond "I did well in your class, and I volunteer in your lab" that would allow for her to write me a strong reference letter. In particular, I'm wondering how I should go about relating the skills I will have gained working in a research lab to becoming an OT. As of right now, most of what I've done in her lab has involved literature reviews, and data entry, cleaning, and processing. There's a project I'll be working on with a few of her grad students, but it hasn't gotten underway yet.

 

Also, in general, what kinds of characteristics have you guys hoped an academic reference would be able to discuss in their recommendation letter when you've requested one?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice. 

[Rehab-ed]

Queens PT has a video that talks about some things that academic references should include. 

-Academic ability and potential for success in a graduate program 

-Oral and written communication skills

-Problem-solving and critical thinking ability 

-Ability to work independently and in groups

-Interpersonal skills. 

 

I realize this is for PT but because of the way ORPAS is set im assuming same references are used amongst both programs, therefore, these points should work well for OT as well. 

 

Good Luck!

[OThopeful18]

Hey, have u seen the ORPAS reference form? For OT, it asks the referee to comment on very specific skills such as communication, motivation to study ot, interpersonal skills etc. So I am guessing these are the quality your referee will be commenting on.