Ask Online Professor for a LOR?

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MedPhys2MD

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Bad idea?

I've been out of school for a while so taking online classes to show my current competency. Taking them online due to work and family schedule. Anyone every had an online professor write you a LOR? I have one that has written me excellent replies to my submissions and praises me about caring in regards to the quality of work I submit.

Would asking her to write a LOR be inappropriate?

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If you've been very involved with the discussion boards and talked to her once or twice I'd ask. I will be doing the same this semester.

Being on these forums sometimes gives us a twisted sense of what these other premeds are doing. Most of them are not interacting with their profs every day, having lunch with them, and dating their daughters. They are sitting through a lecture with 50 other students and answering a few questions. The high speed ones may be sitting in front of the classroom and stopping by during some office hours.

These kids still ask for LORs and get them. IMHO a prof probably has a better idea of your abilities by interacting with you several times a week, every week, in the discussion boards online.
 
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If you've been very involved with the discussion boards and talked to her once or twice I'd ask. I will be doing the same this semester.

Being on these forums sometimes gives us a twisted sense of what these other premeds are doing. Most of them are not interacting with their profs every day, having lunch with them, and dating their daughters. They are sitting through a lecture with 50 other students and answering a few questions. The high speed ones may be sitting in front of the classroom and stopping by during some office hours.

These kids still ask for LORs and get them. IMHO a prof probably has a better idea of your abilities by interacting with you several times a week, every week, in the discussion boards online.

I agree with you. Also, I've taken a few online courses and the instructor I want to ask is actually highly involved in the discussion boards and responds quickly. There are definitely professors that seem "checked out" and not really concerned with the class and wouldn't even think to ask them
 
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My entire masters program was online, so I HAD to have lors from my online professors because they were the most recent. It really isn't a problem and you probably wouldn't be the first student to ask for one. One of my profs did have me send my cv and a list of my qualities, and judging by my acceptance, it must've helped make a great letter.
 
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My entire masters program was online, so I HAD to have lors from my online professors because they were the most recent. It really isn't a problem and you probably wouldn't be the first student to ask for one. One of my profs did have me send my cv and a list of my qualities, and judging by my acceptance, it must've helped make a great letter.

Glad to hear of your success. Congrats! Makes me feel a lot better. I was going to try to squeeze in a night course at a local college but if online LOR is acceptable, I'll go with that! I'd much rather not take that time away from my kids.
 
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My entire masters program was online, so I HAD to have lors from my online professors because they were the most recent. It really isn't a problem and you probably wouldn't be the first student to ask for one. One of my profs did have me send my cv and a list of my qualities, and judging by my acceptance, it must've helped make a great letter.

More importantly, you were accepted with an entire degree earned through distance learning!! If you don't mind me asking what school were you accepted into? That is great news.
 
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Glad to hear of your success. Congrats! Makes me feel a lot better. I was going to try to squeeze in a night course at a local college but if online LOR is acceptable, I'll go with that! I'd much rather not take that time away from my kids.

Thanks! Just make sure you check with each school and make sure it's ok. Also, since my online classes were from an actual institution there is no indication on my transcript that they were taken online. My school would not have known if I didn't disclose it myself.
 
More importantly, you were accepted with an entire degree earned through distance learning!! If you don't mind me asking what school were you accepted into? That is great news.

Check my blog if you really want to know ;-) I also have an entire post dedicated to my online experience on the "applying to medical school" page.
 
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