How Did You Initiate A LOR w/ A Professor?

[476515678234896]

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I'm about to ask my orgo professor for an LOR but I haven't taken the MCAT yet. I got A's in all the classes I had w/ him but how do I initiate the request? by e-mail? should I meet him? should I e-mail him and ask if i could meet him about a LOR?

 

[MC21]

When I researched this topic, I found that most sources say it depends on the personality of the professor. If he is a very laid back person, then an informal e-mail would work (although a little formality doesn't hurt). I would also assume how well you two know each other should be taken into account. If it was me, I would see if the professor has time to meet and ask him/her in a somewhat formal manner in person. However, if the professor is very busy then I would probably send a formal e-mail.

I asked both of my LOR in person but this was just me 🙂

 

[breakdanceboa]

oh man I had that issue as well. I had my organic professor write me a letter. How I did it was that I went up to her and just simply asked her, since she knew me very well, and literally annihilated her Organic I and II class. It really depends on your professor. Your professor might know you just go up and ask him and remind him who you are if he still remembers. I do not care for emails but that is not a bad idea as well.

 

[2050vlsb]

I completely agree that it'll depend on the professor .. and on you. Being slightly intimidated by both of the professors I asked, I actually communicated initially via email. I started by just re-introducing myself, mentioning how much I enjoyed the class I took with them, and then asked if they'd consider writing me a letter. I never got the sense that it was impersonal or anything .. in fact, for as busy as my two professors were, I don't know if they would've had a lot of time to sit down with me anyway.

And that's just how I decided to initiate .. I did eventually go in with my PS, transcripts, MCAT etc. and speak to them once they'd already said yes to writing the letter. It all worked out fine ..

I guess it'll depend on your personal style as much as the professor .. whatever you do though, just do it early so you give them plenty of time to write the letter and get it to you

 

[taylormade2006]

Send an email asking if you can meet regarding a letter of recommendation for medical school. Give them a copy of your CV and personal statement and tell them the deadline is 1 month earlier than it actually is.

 

[Kaustikos]

tell them the deadline is 1 month earlier than it actually is.

So May 25th?

 

[apolito2321]

I'm about to ask my orgo professor for an LOR but I haven't taken the MCAT yet. I got A's in all the classes I had w/ him but how do I initiate the request? by e-mail? should I meet him? should I e-mail him and ask if i could meet him about a LOR?

For each of my LORs, I met my professors during their office hours and brought along my CV and personal statement. Just tell them that you're applying to medical school and they'll most likely be glad to help you out. A couple of them did ask for my MCAT score as well, though. As another poster said, it would probably be wise to tell them the deadline is earlier than it actually is. 👍

 

[476515678234896]

thanks for the responses so far guys. I'm applying next year and I haven't taken my MCAT or written my personal statement yet. I'll take them MCAT at the end of January and I don't really have a prediction for when my PS will be completely done. Any advice on what to bring? should i wait?

(my post count is kindof foreboding)

 

[deleted307836]

I'm about to ask my orgo professor for an LOR but I haven't taken the MCAT yet. I got A's in all the classes I had w/ him but how do I initiate the request? by e-mail? should I meet him? should I e-mail him and ask if i could meet him about a LOR?

Just out of curiosity... how well do you know this professor? Did you just go to office hours -- and how often?

I ask simply because I need a better gage of what constitutes an adequate relationship for a good LOR, and I'll pretty much need one from my ochem prof next year...

 

[seap3]

thanks for the responses so far guys. I'm applying next year and I haven't taken my MCAT or written my personal statement yet. I'll take them MCAT at the end of January and I don't really have a prediction for when my PS will be completely done. Any advice on what to bring? should i wait?

(my post count is kindof foreboding)

Quick - make another post.

For the original question - I emailed my profs asking to set up a time to meet to discuss a LOR. All of them said we didn't need to meet and could do it by email, but I think if I had still been on campus (I'm in clinicals at a hospital now - I don't go out to the campus anymore), they would have preferred we meet. I think it's best to give the option and ask in a formal way. I then sent copies of everything - CV, transcript, etc.

 

[476515678234896]

Just out of curiosity... how well do you know this professor? Did you just go to office hours -- and how often?

I ask simply because I need a better gage of what constitutes an adequate relationship for a good LOR, and I'll pretty much need one from my ochem prof next year...

I went consistently. He'd probably recognize me but I go to a pretty big school so he probably doesn't know my name. I asked questions and participated. But overall it wasn't like we had heart-to-hearts. 😛

 

[deleted307836]

I went consistently. He'd probably recognize me but I go to a pretty big school so he probably doesn't know my name. I asked questions and participated. But overall it wasn't like we had heart-to-hearts. 😛

👍 thanks.

 

[bobsmith]

thanks for the responses so far guys. I'm applying next year and I haven't taken my MCAT or written my personal statement yet. I'll take them MCAT at the end of January and I don't really have a prediction for when my PS will be completely done. Any advice on what to bring? should i wait?

(my post count is kindof foreboding)

You don't really need your MCAT scores to get a letter of recommendation from someone. Your professors are going to be writing about how they know you, how you did in their class, and whether or not they can see you as a good candidate for medical school. The MCAT score also speaks for itself -- admissions committees don't need a professor to tell them that you did well on the test.

Also, since you're not applying until next year, I'm going to suggest something that I don't think anyone else here has mentioned yet: consider holding off on getting the letter from your professor for a couple of months and instead drop in a few times and have some conversations with him (or her). I was actually really pleasantly surprised at how willing a lot of my professors were to give me advice on medicine, career choices, classes to take, things to do, etc.

The feasibility of this will obviously depend on how nice your professor is, but I really do think it's worth trying. I mean, not only is it great to have a letter that says something beyond "so-and-so seems smart, motivated, and performed well in my classes," but it actually is pretty cool to get to know a professor outside of class -- it turns out that a lot of them are actually pretty normal people! Who knew?

 

[476515678234896]

Also, since you're not applying until next year, I'm going to suggest something that I don't think anyone else here has mentioned yet: consider holding off on getting the letter from your professor for a couple of months and instead drop in a few times and have some conversations with him (or her). I was actually really pleasantly surprised at how willing a lot of my professors were to give me advice on medicine, career choices, classes to take, things to do, etc.

The feasibility of this will obviously depend on how nice your professor is, but I really do think it's worth trying. I mean, not only is it great to have a letter that says something beyond "so-and-so seems smart, motivated, and performed well in my classes," but it actually is pretty cool to get to know a professor outside of class -- it turns out that a lot of them are actually pretty normal people! Who knew?

I thought about this but I'm hesitant to wait because he teaches so many people (and every semester). I think that his memory of me is fresh right now and it'll most likely fade in the future. Besides that...because it is a big public school, he's one of the professors that is usually really hard to get a hold of unless it's after class or in OH so popping in and out is a bit of a risk. If it were a smaller school w/ less people bombarding him w/ q's and LORs...I would definitely wait and get to know him better but I'm guessing that now is the time. Am I wrong?

 

[Dr2B4Ever]

I thought about this but I'm hesitant to wait because he teaches so many people (and every semester). I think that his memory of me is fresh right now and it'll most likely fade in the future. Besides that...because it is a big public school, he's one of the professors that is usually really hard to get a hold of unless it's after class or in OH so popping in and out is a bit of a risk. If it were a smaller school w/ less people bombarding him w/ q's and LORs...I would definitely wait and get to know him better but I'm guessing that now is the time. Am I wrong?

Others may disagree with me but I would ask for the letter now while he still remembers you, but only because you're from a big school. If you were from a small school, I'd say otherwise. You can tell him that you won't need the letter for another year (when you give him a date, I definitely agree tell him one month earlier than you need it). Also, if he won't put your name to your face, I'd do it in person so he knows who is asking him.

 

[pennstate4life]

1. Cut a hole in a box
2. ...

 

[MFC]

1. Cut a hole in a box
2. ...

I just wrote an email to my professors. All three wanted to meet me, so I met up with them, chatted for about 45 minutes and that was it! In line with others, I provided my personal statement, CV, transcript, and my MCAT score. Don't be timid. Professors in my experience are extremely helpful. Good luck =)

 

[cubssox2000]

Me: "Hi, I was hoping you would write a LOR for me."
Prof: "Who are you?"
Me: "Uh, I'm cubssox. I was at your office hours every week this past semester."
Prof: "Doesn't ring a bell."
Me: "Well, can you write me a letter anyway? I can give you all the information you need."
Prof: "Well, I don't really know you, so I can't write a letter."
Me: "If I have my TA write me a LOR, will you sign it?"
Prof: "Whose your TA?"
Me: "It's ________."
Prof: "_______? Don't know her either. I don't work with the TAs"
Me: "Well, will you sign it if she writes it?"
Prof: "Sure, why not?"

 

[Chemdude]

 

[476515678234896]

Me: "Hi, I was hoping you would write a LOR for me."
Prof: "Who are you?"
Me: "Uh, I'm cubssox. I was at your office hours every week this past semester."
Prof: "Doesn't ring a bell."
Me: "Well, can you write me a letter anyway? I can give you all the information you need."
Prof: "Well, I don't really know you, so I can't write a letter."
Me: "If I have my TA write me a LOR, will you sign it?"
Prof: "Whose your TA?"
Me: "It's ________."
Prof: "_______? Don't know her either. I don't work with the TAs"
Me: "Well, will you sign it if she writes it?"
Prof: "Sure, why not?"

oh god, i hope this doesn't happen to me 😱

 

[KTownGT]

I went consistently. He'd probably recognize me but I go to a pretty big school so he probably doesn't know my name. I asked questions and participated. But overall it wasn't like we had heart-to-hearts. 😛

Same with the history professor writing me a LOR right now. 😛

The English professor in a small class, in which I always had my hand up, did all work, went to office hours, etc. declined to write me a lor because "he didn't know me enough." ugh

 

[Compass]

"Hey, I'm XYZ, I'm applying to med school, I attended your classes in 1337 in the course about video game awesomeness, would you be willing to write me a letter of recommendation now, while our experience is fresh, so that when I come back for the letter in 2052 for my AMCAS cycle, you will have it on-record? Thanks."

 

[AcclratngCharge]

If your professor is really busy I would suggest sending an e-mail. Be formal, I wouldn't explicitly say LOR. My situation was a little different. The main idea (EK pun) of my e-mails was that I'm considering applying to medical school, would really like to meet... Take your amcas LOR request, CV/resume, Med school personal statement, unofficial transcripts (if you have been to > 1 school). That's what I did with the 1 I didn't know as well and we met for like 90 minutes. She was excited for me, asked questions, we both learned a lot more about each other and I think the letter is going to be great.

If you know the person well I would still supply the info in a fancy folder and schedule a meeting so you can give them the official LOR amcas request form and such.