I have a #hiddencurriculum talk I give to students applying to grad school. It covers a variety of topics, such as how to ask for a letter of rec, that I never knew as a #firstgen student. I'm going to compile some of them here #AcademicTwitter: 1/

Waiver: The application fee of [$] for [degree] in [school] presents an economic hardship given my current situation. Since [school] is one of my top choices, I would like to know if you offer a fee waiver? If so, who should I contact to learn more about the process? 2/

LOR: [Introduction sentence(s) about future plans and why you believe this person can speak to your ability to pursue them.] Would you feel comfortable providing me a positive letter of recommendation for my application to [program]? 3/

LOR: If you are willing, I am happy to provide a package of relevant documents, including my CV and application statement, or draft* a letter for you to edit and supplement before the deadline of [date].

*While common practice, I am still uncomfortable with it. 4/

LOR: To mitigate this, I created an LOR worksheet for my students to fill out, based off of @gradydoctor's Twitter thread: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1147726615495008256.html

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4p4qt42v7cn8jiv/LORworksheet.pdf?dl=0

It helps me better advocate for students and gives them insight about what is helpful info to share. 5/

I also share example thank you notes, color-coded spreadsheets of how I have organized applications, and how to reach out to conference organizers to ask if the registration fee can be subsidized or waived in exchange for volunteering. 6/

Screenshots of my rejections resonate the most w/ students though. I explain how my bio/CV are just survivorship bias and how not knowing the unwritten rules can magnify imposter syndrome.

I hope others will add to this list and help make the rules more explicit. 7/fin

Delayed thought: I also have #hiddencurriculum talks related to dissertation advice and grant writing - if helpful, I am happy to post threads on these topics too. Likewise, I am drafting a more personal one about unintended consequences of HC and times I have challenged it.