Many applications require one or more letters of recommendation, which can be difficult to obtain, particularly for those who are early in their careers. While a strong letter of recommendation can strengthen an application, an average or below average letter of recommendation can hurt your application. Dr. Park would be delighted to write a strong letter of recommendation for:

• Current or past graduate students who are meeting or exceeding program and lab expectations

• Current or past (within the last three years) research assistants who have met or exceeded lab expectations for at least two quarters

• Current or past (within the last three years) practicum students who have met or exceeded practicum expectations for at least one quarter

• Students who have taken at least two courses with Dr. Park, attended office hours, and received A grades in both of those courses

In general, Dr. Park finds it difficult to write a strong letter of recommendation for trainees who she has worked with for less than two quarters - she often needs more time to get to know you, get a sense of your strengths, and accumulate stories of your successes to sufficiently brag about you in a letter. Therefore, Dr. Park typically declines letter requests from trainees who do not fall into any of the above categories.

To request a letter of recommendation:

1. Add your letter deadline to Dr. Park’s Calendly. Select the date that is two business days before your letter is due. Please note that Dr. Park may not be able to accommodate requests made within three weeks of your application deadline. An event should be scheduled for each letter requested. If Dr. Park still needs to submit your letter two days before your deadline, please nudge her with an email.

   • If your letter should be submitted through an online portal, you are responsible for sending Dr. Park the submission link at least one week before your deadline. If Dr. Park does not receive a link to submit your letter, then your letter may not be submitted (on time).

   • If you are asked to provide recommender information, please enter as much of Dr. Park’s information as possible. Her position and contact information can be found on her faculty webpage.

2. Upload your CV here, ideally three weeks before your deadline. Please name your file “[First name] [Last name] CV” - for example “Alayna Park CV”.

3. Upload any supplemental materials here, ideally three weeks before your deadline. Please include your first and last name in each file name - for example “Alayna Park Statement of Purpose.”

   • If your application requires Dr. Park to submit any additional forms (e.g., a rating form), please upload those materials.

   • If you are applying to a graduate program, please upload a draft of your statement of purpose.

   • If you are applying to a clinical practicum or internship, please upload a report of your direct service hours and, if Dr. Park has not supervised your clinical work, a recent evaluation from a clinical supervisor.

   • If you are applying for a research grant, please upload a draft of your specific aims.