Smithsonian
Institution
National Museum of Natural History
Research
Training Program
Letter
of Recommendation
Welcome
to Natural History's on-line internship application
process. Here is information about preparing and
submitting a letter of recommendation to
support a student applying for an internship.
On
this page we offer more information
for references and applicants about the letter
of recommendation.
References:
click here - - Letter
of Recommendation Form - - to go directly
to the on-line location to prepare and submit
a Letter of Recommendation Form.
MORE
INFORMATION
If
you have questions about preparing and submitting
the letter of recommendation form, here you will
find some answers to commonly asked questions.
WHAT
SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION?
In
the letter of recommendation, references are encouraged
to comment on the applicant's aptitude, academic
performance, academic background, research potential,
motivation to participate in the RTP program,
career goals, and general characteristics.
References are encouraged to offer both positive
comments and notes of potential concern about
the applicant.
RECOMMENDATION
CONFIDENTIALITY
Letters
of recommendation are considered confidential
documents and available for review only by authorized
personnel serving on official selecting panels.
Recommendation documents are not available to
applicants for review, either electronically or
in paper format, and information contained is
not shared with them.
NUMBER
OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Two,
one-page, professional recommendations are required
to support each application to the Research Training
Program.
Application files containing only one letter of
recommendation when the review process begins
are generally not competitive and eliminated during
the pre-screening process. Eliminated files are
not re-evaluated if recommendations are received
after the review process has been completed.
In exceptional circumstances three letters of
recommendation may be submitted. However, only
two letters will be reviewed and considered in
the selection process.
WHAT
IS THE PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER?
To
correctly link all documents associated with this
submission applicants should select and record
a unique number or character string to serve as
your ID NUMBER. Application ID must meet the following
requirements:
Contain at least one letter (upper or lower
case)
Contain at least one number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, or 9)
Contain at least one special character ($, @,
%, #, +, or !)
You must use this same ID NUMBER on all application
documents (application
form, cover
letter, letters
of recommendation) linked to this submission.
RTP
HOW TO APPLY:
The Application Procedure
- Check
requirements
- (program dates, application deadlines, etc.).
- Select
a Project Advisor - information
and advisor list.
- Prepare
a Cover Letter - information
and on-line
form.
- Prepare
the RTP Application Form -
information and on-line
form.
- Select
two References
- information and on-line
recommendation form.
You are HERE.
