What Reviewers Look For in the AAPI Psychology Internship Cover Letter
This rubric reviews whether your letter explains what you want to learn in internship, why this particular site can help you learn it, and what relevant preparation you bring. It also looks at how you would use supervision, whether the letter matches the intended site or track, and whether the writing is clear, focused, and complete.
What We Check
Whether the letter identifies what the writer needs to learn during internship and why.
Whether the letter connects the site’s training opportunities to the writer’s learning needs.
Whether prior work supports the capabilities the writer claims to bring to internship.
Whether the letter presents the writer as ready to learn through supervision rather than as a finished clinician.
Whether the letter identifies its intended recipient and answers the site’s application-specific request.
Mistakes We Flag
- Goals that stay too broad
- Saying you want a well-rounded internship does not show the specific capability you want to develop. Goals should name a bounded learning need and why it matters to you.
- Generic reasons for choosing a site
- Phrases such as “diverse population” or “outstanding supervision” could apply to many programs. Explain what you would learn from the site’s particular opportunities.
- Experience listed without your role
- Hours, test lists, or a team outcome do not show what you actually did or decided. Connect your own actions or observations to the capability you say you bring.
- Presenting yourself as beyond supervision
- Internship letters should show readiness to learn through feedback, not imply that supervision is unnecessary. You can describe a plan to have work reviewed, revise it, and compare later work.
- Site or track details do not match
- A letter should clearly identify its intended destination and respond to any supplied site-specific request. Naming unrelated sites or arguing for a different track creates confusion.
How this rubric reads your essay
- Built from published reader guidance — the sources are listed below.
- Scored per section against defined criteria, not general impressions.
- Calibrated for consistent scoring, so a better draft shows up in the score.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to include site instructions with my letter?
No. A letter without pasted site instructions is a normal submission. If you provide local questions, track requirements, or limits, they can be considered.
Is there a standard length for every AAPI cover letter?
No universal word or page limit is given. Site instructions govern; one-to-two pages are described as typical guidance, not a universal maximum.
Do I need to describe a past problem with supervision?
No. You can show how you would learn through supervision by naming a work product, review, revision, and later comparison. A failure story or prior supervision anecdote is not required.
Can I use my CV as the main evidence of preparation?
No. The letter should be an argument from relevant experience, not a second CV. Explain what you did, observed, or decided and how it supports the capability or task you claim.
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