18
votes
Is it mandatory to give four references in post-doctoral positions?
Don't do this. There is no significant difference between having to upload a letter 20 times and having to upload a letter 15 times.
You would in fact be doing your references a disservice: they spent ...
- 9,048
13
votes
Accepted
Should I Read a Draft of a Recommendation Letter?
Yes, it is fine to read and give input if asked. It would have been different if you had asked to see the draft rather than the professor asking for feedback. Not a problem. You are breaking no rules ...
- 344k
9
votes
Accepted
Is it mandatory to give four references in post-doctoral positions?
I would guess that you reduce your chances slightly if you do this. Some, not all, might wonder why you didn't submit the "expected" number. It might even be an unconscious bias.
Let your ...
- 344k
7
votes
Is it mandatory to give four references in post-doctoral positions?
How would postdoctoral candidates manage such situations?
What I have seen, in mathematics specifically, is candidates using Interfolio as a dossier service to manage their letters. As a writer, I ...
- 12.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Do all 3 recommendation letters carry equal weight?
No, they aren't all the same, but it depends on what they say, not the order they are listed or received.
The best letters will come from people who say they have worked closely with you in some way, ...
- 344k
3
votes
Do recommenders see your application materials (SOP, CV, etc)?
Not typically, they're just submitting a letter, but I'd usually highly recommend sharing these things directly with your recommendation writers (or offering to do so); it'll help them tailor your ...
- 104k
3
votes
Should I Read a Draft of a Recommendation Letter?
Yes, it's ethical and I think this is very common. Problems I see with first drafts of letters: letter writer doesn't know the applicant well enough and the letter is short on concrete information; ...
- 1,364
2
votes
Accepted
When Masters advisor said she will not gonna write a favorable rec letter to ph.d
I'm sorry to hear about the difficult experience you had with your Master's advisor. It's understandable that such a situation can have a lasting impact on you. When it comes to applying for a Ph.D. ...
- 36
2
votes
Should I exclude my supervisor as a reference when applying for academic jobs outside my PhD area?
If you completed your PhD, then your thesis advisor probably knows you better than anyone else. If I was an employer I would want to see that letter of reference.
Since the relationship has soured, I ...
- 175
2
votes
Can two people write one letter of recommendation?
That would be up to the receiving institution to judge, but I suspect so. But it would possibly count as one letter of the (likely) three that you need, however.
Individual letters might be a bit ...
- 344k
2
votes
sending good/bad rec letter without waiving my rights
In my recent (last 10-15 years') experience, in the U.S., in mathematics, there would simply be no way for anyone to inject an unsolicited letter into your application file.
The way it works nowadays ...
- 86.4k
1
vote
Can two people write one letter of recommendation?
Yes, they certainly can. My lab head and I have done this for students I have directly supervised so that they have the benefit of my detailed comments on their day-to-day performance, and also the ...
- 76
1
vote
sending good/bad rec letter without waiving my rights
I'll focus on "bad" letters and communications.
This might depend on the country's (or other political entity) laws and regulations, but it would be highly unethical for a professor to ...
- 344k
1
vote
How do PhD letter of recommendations actually get sent?
There are a lot of possibilities. If there is staff available, it may just get passed to them. But that is probably less available than in the past (US perspective).
But, given that the professor ...
- 344k
1
vote
What if letters of reference is not strong enough for PhD schools, in spite of having achieved top-graded master thesis?
The situation you are in is what it is. You can't change the past or pretend that things are different than they are. Perhaps you made a mistake in the past by taking an independent route, and if so ...
- 344k
1
vote
Which letter of recommendation to use for graduate application?
None of these are great. The best letter writers are people you have worked with enough that they can honestly and confidently predict your success in graduate study. If you know any of the professors ...
- 344k
1
vote
Is it mandatory to give four references in post-doctoral positions?
I would advise you to reach out directly to the head of the group. Write a short but informative email with your view on the subject, if the position comes from the grant, maybe a sentence or two why ...
- 11
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