I work more closely with a graduate student or postdoc than I do with a faculty member. Who should write my mentor letter?
You can have two letters of support submitted for your application. One letter of support needs to come from a faculty member, but it might be helpful to include a letter from the grad student or postdoc as well if s/he has more thorough knowledge of you and your work. If you feel there are special circumstances for your project, please contact us at mgates@u.washington.edu. Your mentor letter(s) is a crucial part of your application. Be sure to give your mentor(s) enough time to craft a letter for you that speaks to her/his willingness to support you and the reasons s/he would like to work with you to develop your research skills. I am not sure if my mentor is a faculty member. Please check with a Mary Gates Endowment staff member.
Related Questions
- How closely do the faculty members work with individual students? Does a doctoral student work with a faculty supervisor from the outset, or is one assigned later by the school?
- Can the same faculty mentor submit a letter of recommendation for more than one students proposal?
- Can a graduate student, instead of a faculty advisor, supervise my summer internship?
