Should I get a rec from this professor?

[Ailleurs]

Hey Guys!

I had a question about asking my German Professor for a recommendation. First of all, she has known me for about 2 years. I took a year of German with her and audited another year (more advanced of course) of German with her. She has told me extremely, extremely positive things about my German ability (eg: I have an uncanny ability of understanding the workings of the German language--but this is probably because my boyfriend is German and so he has taught me a few things ).

Although she has mentioned this, I feel like I somehow need to be interacting with her more, although I probably interact with her more than any of her other students. She knows that I want to be a doctor and that I put in a lot of effort into German and not in just doing well in class but trying to attain a decent level of fluency in the language, but I was wondering if that's all that she needs to write a STELLAR letter of recommendation for me? I always thought someone who should write you a recommendation should know you beyond class and should know you on a REALLY HIGH personal level.

So should I ask her for a recommendation (that's the big question!!)?

What else could I do (besides going to her office hours and asking her questions)? Perhaps ask her why she became interested in teaching German? Or why she moved here? I just want her to think that I am one of the BEST students she has ever had!

I hope this didnt' come off as conceited/arrogant, because that is NOT what I want to portray. Thanks again

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[silverhorse84]

Most schools want a letter from a non-science professor, so it sounds like a good person to ask to fulfill that.

In terms of her getting to know you and visa versa, you sound like you're fine. My letter writers sometimes didn't know much about me other than my performance in class, that I wanted to go to med school, and that I was a hard worker (evident by my presence in office hours). Just be sure to give her a resume/CV when she writes it so she knows what other things you do. With one of my profs I hadn't had her as a teacher recently, so I sat down with her for 15 mins or so and we got "caught up" on eachothers lives. That way she knew what I was doing for my year off and what I had been doing since her class. You can do that as a way of her getting to know you better and visa versa.

 

[justdoit31]

As mentioned above most schools want a non-science letter so if you feel she is the best non-science person for you then do so... I used a history professor who I had a lot of 1 on 1 work with (study abroad, research project, national presentation) but I know that is not the norm... I used an Organic prof for a letter and all he knew was that I made an A in his class and lab and came to office hours thats all.

 

[135892]

Do you have someone that you think knows you better? If not, this point is moot. It sounds like this prof knows you well enough though...

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yeah, I don't know why you wouldn't ask her. Sounds like a good candidate to me.

 

[crasiman]

She probably knows you much better than the letter-writing professors for many students. Go for it.

 

[Ailleurs]

Okay, I guess I was just overworrying. Thanks for all of your input I will ask her.

It wasn't a question of not asking her though, I was just worried that perhaps she didn't know me well enough. You hear of these awesome pre-med stories and it kind of makes you feel like