Who to Ask for a Grad School Recommendation Letter

Recommendation letters are a non-negotiable part of every graduate school application. Nearly all applications to graduate school require at least 3 letters of recommendation from individuals who can discuss your competencies in a coherent way and recommend that you be admitted to graduate school. Many students find that it is not difficult to select one or two people to approach for letters of recommendation. Others arent sure of who to approach. Who Is the Best Choice?   Who can write the best letter? Remember the main criterion of the letter of recommendation: It must provide a comprehensive and positive evaluation of your abilities and aptitude. It should not be surprising that letters from professors are highly valued by admissions committees. However, the best letters are written by faculty who know you, from whom you have taken multiple classes and/or have completed substantial projects and/or have received very positive evaluations. Professors provide insight into your academic competencies and aptitude as well as personality characteristics that may contribute to your potential to succeed in graduate schools, such as motivation, conscientiousness, and timeliness. Should You Ask Your Employer for a Letter? Not always, but some students include a letter from an employer. Letters from employers are useful if you are working in a field that is related to that which you intend to study. However, even a letter from an employer in an unrelated field can be useful to your application if he or she discusses skills and competencies that will contribute to your success in graduate school, such as the ability to read and integrate information in order to draw conclusions, lead others, or carry out complex tasks in a timely and competent fashion. Essentially its all about spin—spinning the material so that it matches what committees are looking for. What Makes for an Effective Recommendation Letter? An effective recommendation letter is written by someone who meets some of the following criteria: Is aware of your field of interest and the schools you are applying to.Is able to evaluate your performance in your field of interest.Is able to discuss your personal characteristicsIs able to discuss your capacity to work with othersCan discuss your leadership skillsCan evaluate your level of professionalism (e.g., punctuality, efficiency, assertiveness)Can discuss your academic skills—not simply experience, but your potential to succeed in graduate-level studyEvaluates you positively relative to othersHas some recognition and whose judgment is highly valued within the field.Has the skills to write a helpful letter. Many students become nervous when they see this list. Remember that no one person will meet all of these criteria, so dont fret or feel bad. Instead, consider all of the people who you might approach and attempt to compose a balanced panel of reviewers. Seek individuals who will collectively fulfill as many of the above criteria as possible. Avoid This Mistake The biggest mistake most students make in the recommendation letter-phase of the graduate school application is to fail to plan ahead and establish relationships that lead to good letters. Or to not consider what each professor brings to the table and to instead settle for whoever is available. This is not the time to settle, choose the easiest path, or be impulsive. Take the time and make the effort to consider all of the possibilities—each professor you have had and all persons you have come into contact with (e.g., employers, internship supervisors, supervisors from settings in which you have volunteered). Dont rule anyone out at first, just make a long list. After you have created an exhausted list, rule out those who you know will not give you a positive recommendation. The next step is to determine how many criteria those remaining on your list might fulfill—even if you have not had recent contact with them. Continue evaluating each person to choose potential refe rees.

Whole Foods Market in 2008 Vision, Core Values, and Strategy

Case question 1: What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Whole Food’s chief elements of the strategy are to establish the company as a market leader of natural and organic super markets by differentiating its offering with highest quality naturally preserved food to the world market and become an international brand in every community. However the company is also determined to establish unique value chain activity by recruiting specialized and knowledgeable workforce to up keep company’s growth and profit margin. The strategy also focuses on sustainable agriculture and serves the community members. In a simple word, company’s chief elements are Whole foods, Whole People, and Whole Planet†¦show more content†¦Why or why not? Whole foods market has established a number of core values that reflects organizational needs and fit with different cultural background and circumstance. Here I am scrutinizing each and every value. The first value is selling the highest quality natural and organic product available, which is true. Whole Foods is world’s largest seller of organic produce. They maintain highest quality product and guaranteed 100 percent satisfaction on all the items. They carefully evaluate each and every product as well. Their food is completely free from artificial color, preservative, and flavors. Every day the store is innovating new great tasting foods. However they use organically grown foods that are fresh to support customer’s health (C-13). Secondly, Whole Foods team members are dedicated to satisfy their customers by offering friendly attitude and high quality products. Store personnel are chatty and helpful with shoppers and knowledgeable enough to answer all product related questions. Company personnel always encourage customers to consume natural and organic food throughout the public relation campaign. (C-15). Whole Foods likes to do retail experiment and co ntinuously innovate and raise retail standers. They customize their store design to best fit with particular product mix. In some super store, they make village style layout including mini restaurant, raw foodShow MoreRelatedWhole Foods Market in 2008: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy2599 Words   |  11 PagesSTUDY ANALYSIS FOR WHOLE FOODS MARKET Case Study Analysis for Whole Foods Market Abstract This paper is an analysis of Whole Foods Market’s vision, core values, and business strategy. It lays out the type of strategy that Whole Foods Market utilizes, what parts of this strategy work and what parts could use improvement. This case study analysis concludes that Whole Foods Market has a very good business strategy, has a strong, clear vision, and lives by its core values. With only a few minorRead MoreWhole Food Market in 2008:Vision, Core Values and Strategy1945 Words   |  8 Pages Question No. 1 What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Use Strategy Diamond to explain this part. ARENAS: †¢ Product: The company has a broad range of products including Natural and organic items like beverages, snacks, frozen items, Meat and poultry, Dairy Products, Fresh Sea food, baked products, coffees, cheese and different supplements,  etc †¢ Market Segment: Health Conscious People of many ages and ethnic group Technology: BiodieselRead MoreWhole Foods1021 Words   |  5 PagesWhole Foods Market in 2010 Core Values and Strategy Wilmington University Name: Whitney Newman Date 1/13/13 Overview: Provide a brief overview of the company. Include such details as its history, present day situation, and any other pertinent information you think is helpful in understanding the company (points 5) * Whole Foods Market was founded in 1980 working with natural and healthy foods in Austin, Texas; it’s one of the world’s largest of natural and organic foods supermarkets. In 2009Read MoreWhole Foods1021 Words   |  5 PagesWhole Foods Market in 2010 Core Values and Strategy Wilmington University Name: Whitney Newman Date 1/13/13 Overview: Provide a brief overview of the company. Include such details as its history, present day situation, and any other pertinent information you think is helpful in understanding the company (points 5) * Whole Foods Market was founded in 1980 working with natural and healthy foods in Austin, Texas; it’s one of the world’s largest of natural and organic foods supermarkets. InRead MoreEssay on Case Study-Whole Foods1284 Words   |  6 Pages1. Whole Foods creates a narrow market niche by catering to the special needs and tastes of the consumer, thus, creating a differentiation-based advantage over competitors. By taking actions to acquire Wild Oats, Whole Foods has gained the competitive edge in the marketplace. 2. Recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic food industry can put a strain on the vision and strategy that John Mackey first set out to accomplish. However, part of a good business strategy is toRead MoreMission Statement : Our Mission And Vision1008 Words   |  5 Pages Whole Foods, like many other organizations, has a motto that guides their day-to-day business. Their motto is, â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet† (Our Mission and Vision, n.d.). This motto emphasizes that they are not just focused on food retail. Their mission goes beyond that; they are concerned for the well-being of their customers and employees, and even the planet as a whole. While whole foods does not have a separate mission statement, they do have a strong vision statement. This visionRead MoreWhole Foods Markets1582 Words   |  7 Pagespaper examines the published case study Whole Foods Markets, 2005: Will There Be Enough Organic Food to Satisfy the Growing De mand? (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson, 2007, p. C534). Although the published study addresses numerous aspects of Whole Foods Market’s business as a leading international retailer of â€Å"natural† organic foods, the analysis provided herein is focused on Whole Foods Market’s ability to meet future growth demands. This paper explores Whole Foods Market’s basic internal environmentRead MoreWhole Foods Market2057 Words   |  9 PagesCase Study: Whole Foods Market 2006: Mission, Core Values and Strategy 1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Founder John Mackey strongly believed in Whole Foods’ mission to be very selective about store inventory, sticking to the company’s core values and ensuring that customers had an enjoyable and interactive shopping experience, while keeping with planned strategies that have set them apart from their competitors. Store Development andRead MoreWhole Foods Market Case Essay1917 Words   |  8 PagesCase Study: Whole Foods Market 2006: Mission, Core Values and Strategy 1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Founder John Mackey strongly believed in Whole Foods’ mission to be very selective about store inventory, sticking to the company’s core values and ensuring that customers had an enjoyable and interactive shopping experience, while keeping with planned strategies that have set them apart from their competitors. Store Development andRead MoreAFP Versus Jollibee Food Corporation1605 Words   |  7 Pagesthe best, plan for the worst. Strategic planning, simply defined, is a systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them.XX It is the organization†s method of defining its strategy or direction, and allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. â€Å" The AFP Strategic Planning System is the primary means by which the Chief of Staff, AFP carries out the strategic planning and related functions

The Thunderstorm monologue Essay Example For Students

The Thunderstorm monologue Essay A monologue from the play by August Strindberg NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Plays by August Strindberg, vol. 3. Trans. Edwin Bjorkman. New York: Charles Scribner\s Sons, 1913. MASTER: I thought I heard the little stepsthose little steps that came tripping down the corridor when she was looking for me. It was the child that was the best of all! To watch that fearless little creature, whom nothing could frighten, who never suspected that life might be deceptive, who had no secrets! I recall her first experience of the malice that is in human beings. She caught sight of a pretty child down in the park, and, though it was strange to her, she went up to it with open arms to kiss itand the pretty child rewarded her friendliness by biting her on the cheek first and then making a face at her. Then you should have seen my little Anne-Charlotte. She stood as if turned to stone. And it wasn\t pain that did it, but horror at the sight of that yawning abyss which is called the human heart. I have been confronted with the same sight myself once, when out of two beautiful eyes suddenly shot strange glances as if some evil beast had appeared behind those eyes. It scared me literally so that I had to see if some other person were standing behind that face, which looked like a mask. Buty why do we sit here talking about such things? Is it the heat, or the storm, or what?

The Melanin Theory

Melanin theorists purport that black people are more superior to the whites (Cashmore and Jennings 181) because they have greater quantities of melanin. They attribute whites’ alleged â€Å"inhumanity† and â€Å"inferiority† to lack of melanin. Melanin theorists also maintain that melanin bestows upon people of color some superhuman abilities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Melanin Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theorists are unanimous that melanin is both a superconductor and a semiconductor. They contend that melanin can absorb electromagnetic radiation and is capable of converting light and magnetic fields to sound. To these theorists, â€Å"melanin can process information without reporting to the brain because it is the chemical basis of the soul† (Barnes 88). The presence of neuromelanin in a human brain’s substantia nigra aids in transmission of neuronal impulses. The proponents of the melanin theory also advance that â€Å"higher levels of melanin in the skin enable nerve synapses to fire more quickly and efficiently† (Barnes 90). This element underscores the black men’s athleticism. These theorists also believe, â€Å"The lower incidence of Parkinson’s diseases among the Blacks is due to the high hypodermic melanin levels in their skin, which acts as a preventative against development of the diseases† (Irving 315). However, the melanin theory is a stereotype for it has no scientific backing to prove its claims as expounded in this paper. The architects of this theory believe that white people are mutants and that whiter skin is a form of albinism with the likes of Wade Nobles opining that â€Å"Blacks are fully human because of their higher levels of skin melanin† (Cashmore and Jennings 116). In addition, Nobles holds that the â€Å"central nervous system and the essential melanic system make on e a full human† (Cashmore and Jennings 116). Therefore, to be human is to be black. Frances Welsing coined the idea of hue-man instead of human to â€Å"illuminate the existing inherent and behavioral differences between black and white people† (Welsing The Isis Papers 200).Advertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barnes, another Melanin theorist, states that melanin â€Å"is responsible for civilization, philosophy, religion, truth, justice, and righteousness, and that is why the whites behave in a barbaric manner† (81). He further adduces that melanin’s ability to absorb frequencies enhances the black man’s ability to feel his surroundings. In the eyes of the people of color, whites are rigid, cold, unfeeling, and calculating because their skins have lower levels of melanin. In addition, some theorists relate the pigment melanin with intelligence and creativi ty. Europeans being the â€Å"ice-people† are therefore born cold and greedy, militaristic, and authoritarian. Frances Welsing also purports, â€Å"The prevalence of high blood pressure among African Americans is due to the fact that melanin picks up energy vibrations from people who are stressed up† (Welsing Blacks hypertension 65). Dark skinned people therefore absorb stress in others hence stand higher chances of experiencing high blood pressure. Barnes also purported that white scientists created drugs like cocaine among others, which chemically bind with melanin by the mere fact that they are both alkaloids, hence the high likelihood of black people getting addicted faster or even stay addicted for longer. Barnes argues, â€Å"The blacks can test positive for Cocaine even after a year has elapsed courtesy of cocaine’s ability to co-polymerize into melanin† (18). Some of the arguments advanced by Melanin Theorists like Barnes that the whites deliberat ely created drugs like cocaine, which have high affinity for melanin, to make the black people get addicted faster and for longer cannot be factual. No one disputes that â€Å"melanin binds with cocaine; however, skin melanin cannot be linked to the mechanism of addiction† (Mieczkowski and Kruger 6). An argument to the effect that in circumstances when hair has been used to test drug use, â€Å"people with darker hair are more likely to test positive for cocaine use because cocaine has high affinity for melanin, is not true because even the whites with dark hair can test positive for the same† (Mieczkowski and Kruger 8).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Melanin Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Barnes’ accusation of the white scientists has no element of absolutism because so far, there is no evidence that points to white conspiracy to compound addictive substances that target the b lacks. However, people should not forget that there exists an established link between an aspect of melanin-related biology and substance addiction, especially the melanin found in the brain. Drug addiction is facilitated by complex neuronal processes that converge on the shell of nucleus accumbens that receive inputs from the lateral hypothalamus. Melanin concentrating hormone is produced from the lateral hypothalamus. Regardless of the fact that the mechanism for nicotine addiction has not been fully understood, â€Å"melanin has a biochemical affinity for nicotine and that the greater the amount of melanin an individual may be having the harder it can be for him or her to quit smoking† (Mieczkowski and Kruger 11). People who become dark skinned due to sun tanning, irrespective of whether they are black or white, are at risk of developing nicotine addiction. Welsing’s claim that â€Å"dark skinned people absorb the stress in others resulting in high blood pressureâ €  (Blacks hypertension 65) cannot entirely be true if scientific studies that have been conducted in this field are anything to go by. Science has for sure linked blacks to norepinephrine. The bodies of human beings produce this substance when subjected to certain levels of stress. This substance constricts blood vessels, but whites and blacks exhibit elevated blood pressure when subjected to pressure. Melanin theorists stir fallacious thinking, as some of the reasons they advance are full of logical fallacies and accepting them in totality leads to error in thinking hence fictitious characterization of science. While trying to support the truth of their opinions, melanin theorists seemingly resign to their views. They think that their entitlement is indispensable for the truth of the argument. They never seem to realize that â€Å"their entitlement to their opinions has no consequence for scientific truth neither does it validate the views they express† (White and Billin g 191). Their entitlement is not backed with evidence.Advertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theorists’ assertion that possession of greater quantities of melanin makes black people superior and that its lack is a pointer as to why the whites are inhuman and inferior is not backed with any evidence to that effect. Some of their arguments are indeed a distortion of scientific facts. The theory therefore has no credibility in mainstream science. Human rights and entitlements cannot be used to support a view, as the focus will shift from scientific evidence to human rights. Being entitled to a given opinion in scientific discourses can only be equated to being wrong especially when there are no facts, evidences, and reason to support such opinions. Only data and evidence can make an opinion correct. Evidences adduced should be independent of one’s view. The proponents of this pseudoscientific theory have committed the fallacy of argument to ignorance. Apparently, they have a belief that things have to be true because they have not been proved otherwise. They are oblivious of the fact that inability to prove a claim â€Å"does not necessarily mean that the claim is true† (White and Billing 181). Look at it this way, an individual can claim that s/he is capable of running 100m sprint in less than 3 seconds. However, if s/he refuses to be tested in a race, â€Å"people’s inability to falsify the claim does not make the claim true by default; moreover, the fact that no scientific study has associated melanin to creativity and intelligence does not give melanin theorists license to posit that melanin is the source of intelligence and creativity† (White and Billing 181). Moreover, this does not qualify them to assert that â€Å"ice-people† are cold and greedy, militaristic, and authoritarian because they were born melanin-deficient. Carol Barnes also commits the fallacy of argument to ignorance by asserting, â€Å"Melanin is responsible for civilization, philosophy, religion, truth, justice, and righteousness† (Barnes 81). In fact, no scientific study has illuminated this; however, the absence of any evidence cannot make such sentiments true. Melanin theorists also commit the fallacy of generalization by suggesting that black people are proficient in athletics because they have higher amounts of melanin in their skin. Across the world, many athletes are successful, but they are not black. It is also wrong to think that melanin is responsible for civilization, philosophy, religion, truth, justice, and righteousness. In the contemporary world, there exist many uncivilized and unrighteous blacks in spite of having elevated melanin levels in their skins. Barnes, one of the ardent Melanin theorists, asserts that melanin â€Å"gives human beings the ability to feel because it is the absorber of all frequencies of energy† (81). Barnes advances that white people are perceived by people of color as being rigid, heartless, and cold because they have least amounts of melanin. The burden of truth lies with Barnes with regard to proving her assertions. She never tells why she thinks that black skinned people can never be rigid, heartless, and cold. Her sentiments are mere assertions, as she never uses science to support her position with positive evidence. In conclusion, melanin theorists propagate the misconception that Blacks are superior to Whites because the former have higher melanin levels in their skin than the latter. Apparently, according to these theorists, the presence of high melanin levels in Blacks underscores their athleticism and resistance to the Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, Blacks are purportedly more human by the virtue of having high melanin levels; actually, to be human is to be black according to melanin theorists. In a twist of argument, melanin theorists explain that Blacks are prone to hypertension and high stress levels because their melanin absorbs stress from their surroundings. Moreover, Blacks are prone to drug addiction because m elanin has high affinity for drugs like cocaine. However, these arguments are full of assumptions and fallacies for lack of scientific proof. Therefore, these theorists commit the fallacy of argument to ignorance, fallacy of generalization, and fallacy of appeal to authority. For instance, they commit the fallacy of appeal to spite by portraying the whites as an inferior race. By substituting attack on ethnicity and racism, the theorists are oblivious of fallacy of circumstantial Ad Hominem in their arguments. Works Cited Barnes, Carol. Melanin: The Chemical Key to Black Greatness. New York: Lushena Books, 2001. Print. Cashmore, Ernest, and James Jennings. Racism: essential readings. New York: Sage, 2001. Print. Irving, Kessler. â€Å"Epidemiologic Studies of Parkinson’s Disease: II. A Hospital-based Survey.† American Journal of Epidemiology 95.16 (1972): 308-318. Print. Mieczkowski, Tom, and Michael Kruger. â€Å"Interpreting the color effect of melanin on Cocaine an d benzoylecgonine assays for hair analysis: Brown and black samples compared.† Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 14.1 (2007): 7–15. Print. Welsing, Frances. â€Å"Blacks, hypertension, and the active skin melanocyte†. Urban Health  4.3 (1975): 64–72. Print. Welsing, Frances. The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors. New York: Third World Press, 1990. Print. White, Fred, and Simone Billing. The Well Crafted Argument. New York: Cengage, 2010. Print. This essay on The Melanin Theory was written and submitted by user Spencer L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.