1. Karen J. Kelly, Ph. D
43 N Fullerton Ave. Apt. 2
Montclair, NJ 07042
862-215-0007
kellykar@mail.montclair.edu
June 13,,
2014
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter on behalf of Alexander Antonio who is applying to the Rutgers
Masters of Social Work Program. Alex was a student in my Experimental Psychology
course this past semester. Many students who major in psychology in the hopes of
becoming a clinician are intimidated by and reluctant to take this course, often because
they feel it will not be useful in their future career. Alex impressed me immediately by
demonstrating a genuine interest in the material as well as a sophisticated level of
understanding of the relevance of this course to all psychology majors, future clinicians
and experimentalists alike.
The requirements of the course included: reading and understanding peer-reviewed
journal articles, presenting and interpreting the results of selected articles, completing in-
class lab assignments related to research methodology, participating during each week’s
classes, and writing two papers – each of which entailed formulating a research question,
generating a hypothesis, creating the experimental materials, collecting and interpreting
data, and writing an APA formatted research paper. Alex ultimately excelled at each of
these tasks.
As is the case with most students who are experiencing their first exposure to advanced
research methodology and statistical analyses, there were some topics that led Alex to
seek assistance outside of the classroom. It was during these meetings that I was able to
gain a better understanding of Alex as both a mature and focused student and an
empathic, dedicated individual. He consistently sought out additional information and
detail to ensure that his grasp of the material was as comprehensive as possible. He
actively monitored his learning while challenging the depth of his understanding so that
he was ultimately able to become fluent in the material and discuss it at an advanced
level. I learned from speaking with Alex that he did not approach this class as a
requirement. Unlike most students, he approached it as a challenging and highly relevant
intellectual pursuit that would contribute to his later efficacy as a counselor.
In addition to our meetings outside of the classroom, I was able to gain further insight
into Alex’s character by observing him in the classroom. The structure of this particular
class requires the students to work cooperatively and creatively in an effort to allow the
students to experience the truly collaborative nature of the research process. Alex’s

2. interpersonal skills, willingness to assist his fellow students, enthusiasm, humor, and
supportive nature helped to foster the ideal classroom environment. This, balanced with
his commitment to academic excellence makes him a unique candidate for acceptance
into the Rutgers MSW program. He is able to seamlessly bring together his focused and
driven academic approach with a kindness and warmth that sets others at ease. It is for all
of these reasons that I am recommending Alex as the ideal candidate for admission into
this program.
Sincerely,
Karen J. Kelly, Ph. D