Confronting professors for LoR's - should I mention that...

[Systemic]

---

Members do not see this ad.

...I'm friends with someone he has already written a letter for?

I plan on asking a Geography professor that I had a few semesters ago for an LoR. He's a very nice person, and wrote an LoR for a friend of mine 1 year ago when we took the class. When I confront him, should I say something like, "I'm actually friends with so and so, and they mentioned you wrote them a really great letter last year, " - and then proceed to ask if they would be interested in writing one for me?

I know most people are not good, close friends with all 3 professors they ask for letters, so, what are some good openings, or ways to approach a professor that you perhaps don't know that well for an LoR?

Thanks.

 

[Wiingy]

I wouldn't approach the professor this way - it may come across as mercenary (you're asking him because he wrote your friend a good letter, which begs the question, "How did your friend know it was a good letter?").

A better approach would be to remind him of who you are, how much you enjoyed the class, what you've done since (it would help to have a brief letter to hand him after the conversation so he remembers you), and then ask if he would be able to write a strong recommendation. He might have thought you were a great student but doesn't know enough about you to write a personal letter, so he may ask for more information, like your CV/resume or personal statement. It would be good to have this information on hand when you go speak with him.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

don't "confront" a professor... you should ask nicely. and don't name-drop with a friend.

 

[twentyten]

Don't confront the professor. He's doing you a favor, it's not his obligation to help you out here.

I agree with everything that the other posters have said. You should ask him politely if he thinks that he would be able to write a strong, positive letter of recommendation for you for medical school. My pre-med advisors always told us that it was good to let the professor know that if he/she felt he/she couldn't write a strong letter for any reason (time constraints, doesn't know you well enough, etc.), that you would understand if he/she declined the request. You don't want to end up with a lukewarm or a clearly standard, copy-and-pasted letter just because your professor felt like he couldn't turn you down!

Also, make sure you're prepared with a resume, draft of a personal statement, whatever he will need to write a more personal letter.

 

[da8s0859q]

... let the professor know that if he/she felt he/she couldn't write a strong letter for any reason (time constraints, doesn't know you well enough, etc.), that you would understand if he/she declined the request. You don't want to end up with a lukewarm or a clearly standard, copy-and-pasted letter just because your professor felt like he couldn't turn you down!

This. And definitely don't do what you're saying -- "hey, you wrote a letter for Pre-med Magoo, write one for me too?" can easily be taken badly.

 

[mmmcdowe]

So you want a letter from a professor you haven't spoken to in so long that you feel the only way to convince him is to name drop? Even if he wrote a great one for a friend, yours is probably going to be pretty generic even if you give him stuff to read. He clearly has no attachment to you if you are going to confront him.

 

[Vassili Zaitsev]

This. And definitely don't do what you're saying -- "hey, you wrote a letter for Pre-med Magoo, write one for me too?" can easily be taken badly.

That is unless you actually have a friend named Magoo. You can't go wrong namedropping Pre-Med Magoo.