Nontrad here. Struggling to grab LORs from science faculty. I'm thinking about just asking profs of classes I did well in and asking if they can write me a positive letter with materials from my resume and personal statement. I'll be doing this in person to read for any signs of reluctance (though they're profs, so I doubt they'd have any problem saying "No"), and also to have a quicker reply than through email.
Not expecting them to get me into med school. I just don't want them to **** on my application.
Just wondering if any nontrads had any success with this approach?
I know this is far from ideal, but I need to fill those damn requirements. Again, I just don't want these letters getting my application tossed in the garbage.
I know I'm dumb for not keeping connections with my science profs...lesson learned.
I have prepared many LORs for pre-med, pre-law, pre-veterinary medicine, and pre-PhD students.
Fortunately, many "A" letter grade students make a point of staying in contact with me (during office hours, as well as outside of class). Others do not stay in contact with me, for a variety of reasons (including shyness or procrastination). Thereafter, when they (i.e., the out-of-contact) students contact me to request a LOR, I often do not remember them at all; and I need to
know them well to prepare a truly positive LOR for them.
Here is what I do with students who have NOT maintained contact with me:
I schedule an office appointment with them to discuss their request for a LOR if they satisfy certain
preliminary criteria: (a) they have earned a letter grade of "A" in my class; (b) their sGPA meets a certain threshold; (c) their overall GPA meets a certain threshold, and (d) they have strong ECs.
Here are some other friendly suggestions (which you may, or may not, choose to use):
1. When you meet with the professor, bring your
updated c.v.
2. Bring your
most recent academic transcript.
3. Bring your
personal statement.
4. Bring a
LIST of questions/comments that you want to discuss with the professor. Prepare these questions/comments
ahead of time. Think about them ahead of time. I need to know that you are taking our office meeting seriously.
5. Make sure you are
organized and
prepared (in advance of the office appointment). In fact, bring in file folders containing the same information - one for you, and one for me.
6. Bring all information that a professor would
need to know (or have or see) to prepare a strong and detailed LOR for you. This includes information or materials required by each graduate school to which you intend to apply (e.g., how are LORs submitted to the graduate school, by postal mail, or online, or something else), as well as the
LOR timeline (when do you need the LOR submitted to the graduate school). Each professor will probably need a certain amount of lead time to prepare a detailed LOR for you. So, if you tell me the LOR is due in 24 hours, I won't be able to help you.
7. Be
on time for your office appointment with the professor and be
professional.
8. Ask the professor if the professor would be
ready and willing to prepare a detailed
and positive LOR on behalf of the student. If the professor hesitates, seems reluctant, or hems-and-haws ... politely say "thank you" and proceed to another professor, using the same respectful approach and protocol.
Anyway, those are some of my suggestions, based on my own LOR experiences with students.
LORs are important. You need positive LORs. As mentioned above, if a student (who has not maintained contact with me) can show compelling evidence of strong scholarship, as well as strong ECs, I often take time away from my own schedule to meet with the student for about 2 hours. After our meeting, I will promptly inform the student of my LOR decision (yes or no) because the student often has a "need to know" ASAP. If I say "yes" and prepare a LOR for the student, my LOR will be 100% positive and "personalized with super-strong details" for each student.
Thank you.
