Asking current semester professor for recommendation letter (applying this cycle)?

[sleepyturtle]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I was hoping to ask one of my current professors this semester for a recommendation letter, but I'm not sure if I should wait to ask until final grades are posted? I want to give them enough time to write a letter but also be able to comment on my academic performance.

Alternatively, I could ask my previous semester prof whose class I did really well in but know fairly little (likely a weak letter). I'm worried that if I wait too long to ask, then the previous professor will be tied up writing everyone else's letters and I will be 1 letter short. >__<

Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[DingoPingo]

Which professor do you think is cooler? Ask that one.

 

[7331poas]

These both seem like very poor letters.

 

[JustAPhD]

A LoR from a professor who you've kind of known for one semester (or not even one semester) is probably not a great choice.

 

[sleepyturtle]

@gonnif - thanks for the clarification!

@JustAPhD Yeah I know it's not ideal 🙁 I currently have 3 rec letters which I think will be much stronger (from research supervisor for 2 yrs, small class professor that I completed a big project for, etc). my major problem is my school's committee letter requires the faculty letter writers to have actually taught you in a class (my profs recommended me for the TA position with a different teacher teaching the following semester -- so they technically can't count for my committee letter req and also research credits don't count as a class).

I go to a big state school.. unfortunately I haven't gotten to know many of my prereq profs well. I know it's my own fault, but I am trying to scramble now to get things in order.

thanks for the input guys

 

[Deleted member 755173]

By 2 "nonscience" letters, does it have to be a professor or is that where you can substitute a PI, supervisor,etc.?

 

[Doctoblast]

n=1 but I got two science letters both from professors who I barely knew for 1 semester. I popped in every once and again to office hours just to say hi. I mentioned that I would be asking for LORs and they both said they would write one pending my final grade. OP, as long as you get an A and can get at least 1-2 glowing recommendations from other people you know very well (manager, PI, non-science, etc.) you should be fine.

Not everyone goes to small schools where they can be BFFs with their professors so it isn't really a huge deal to get 1 or 2 generic LORs to satisfy the requirements.

 

[Deleted member 755173]

Yeah I go to one of the biggest universities in the country so half my classes are literally like 400 person and even going to office hours, there's always a ton of other people there, so it's usually pretty difficult to form a good relationship

 

[sleepyturtle]

n=1 but I got two science letters both from professors who I barely knew for 1 semester. I popped in every once and again to office hours just to say hi. I mentioned that I would be asking for LORs and they both said they would write one pending my final grade. OP, as long as you get an A and can get at least 1-2 glowing recommendations from other people you know very well (manager, PI, non-science, etc.) you should be fine.

Not everyone goes to small schools where they can be BFFs with their professors so it isn't really a huge deal to get 1 or 2 generic LORs to satisfy the requirements.

ok cool! thanks for the advice. I'm going to try to poke my head into office hours throughout the rest of the semester

Yeah I go to one of the biggest universities in the country so half my classes are literally like 400 person and even going to office hours, there's always a ton of other people there, so it's usually pretty difficult to form a good relationship

yeah it kinda stinks going to a big school, especially since a bunch of classes are taught by TAs and absentee professors!