Collecting recommendation letters early and other LOR questions

[PanRoasted]

I have several questions about LoRs and how to go about collecting them early:

I am currently a sophomore.

I need to collect a LoR from my research grad student now because he is leaving after this year. Also, I have to collect one from my research professor because I am planning on leaving his lab after next semester. I've worked with him since my first semester here.

I also currently take voice lessons with a musical doc candidate who is leaving after next semester, so I want to get his LoR as soon as possible as well.

Here are my questions: Should I request the LoRs right now, or wait until after the christmas intersession? If I do collect them next semester, do I just keep them on personal file? I was under the impression that it is less favorable to look at the letters...

Also, is it okay that I have so many letters from grad students that I interact with rather than professors? I have two other professors that I can ask, one being a chemistry professor that I had for a freshman seminar/debate/research course and is my chemistry advisor whom I know fairly well (he also goes to my church), and one that I had for organic chemistry that openly declared at the end of the class that he would write any of his students a LoR due to the large amount of work we all put into the class (was an honors course, the average score for the ACS organic chem test was like 90th percentile...). I'm concerned that the orgo professor might not give me a "stellar" recommendation due to the fact that I have never had any meaningful conversations with him.

Lastly, how bad is it to collect a LoR that I don't know if I will ever use because it might not be as strong as I'd like? I may be in this boat for the orgo professor. I really feel like I need more science professor LoRs though...

Thanks for any and all input.

Sorry, I just did a search on my school website and it also offers a composite letter of rec service. According to my school website: "By preparing the composite letter, this office saves you the time and postage to send out the letters and puts the letters in a coherent context which should improve your chances for admission." Does this mean they will basically take all the best of my letters and summarize them, then send out that letter? If I receive a lukewarm letter is that going to hurt me? Does it matter how early I get my letters if I am going to do a composite? Thanks.

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[aSagacious]

1) Interfolio is your friend.
2) Get letters from professors. Grad students should be a last resort.

According to my school website: "By preparing the composite letter, this office saves you the time and postage to send out the letters and puts the letters in a coherent context which should improve your chances for admission." Does this mean they will basically take all the best of my letters and summarize them, then send out that letter?

Correct.