On the Use of Letters of Recommendation in Astronomy and Astrophysics Graduate Admissions

TL;DR

This paper critiques the current reliance on multiple letters of recommendation in astronomy graduate admissions, proposing a portfolio system to better showcase student potential and reduce workload.

Contribution

It introduces a novel portfolio-based approach as an alternative to traditional recommendation letters for graduate admissions in astronomy.

Findings

Current system burdens recommenders and committees.

Portfolios can effectively showcase student research readiness.

Limiting recommendation letters may improve efficiency.

Abstract

Letters of recommendation are a common tool used in graduate admissions. Most admissions systems require three letters for each applicant, burdening both letter writers and admissions committees with a heavy work load that may not be time well-spent. Most applicants do not have three research advisors who can comment meaningfully on research readiness, adding a large number of letters that are not useful. Ideally, letters of recommendation will showcase the students' promise for a research career, but in practice, the letters often do not fulfill this purpose. As a group of early and mid-career faculty who write dozens of letters every year for promising undergraduates, we are concerned and overburdened by the inefficiencies of the current system. In this open letter to the AAS Graduate Admissions Task Force, we offer an alternative to the current use of letters of recommendation: a portfolio submitted by the student, which highlights e.g., a paper, plot, or presentation that represents their past work and readiness for grad school, uploaded to a centralized system used by astronomy and astrophysics PhD programs. While we argue that we could eliminate letters in this new paradigm, it may instead be advisable to limit the number of letters of recommendation to one per applicant.