How to get an OUTSTANDING LOR from prof

[sbesbesbe]

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hey there SDN!

I have been in university for 3 years now but I have absolutely NO profs to ask for LORs.
I will be applying next year but want to know HOW you guys achieved excellent LORs from your profs (NOT the generic ones..."he/she got A for this course blahblah")
so I can start this year LOL

I admit I never really went to office hours so i guess this would be an option, like going to office hours once a week and so on...
please share how you obtained your LOR! 🙂


thanks again!

 

[PointEstimate]

I think you know what you have to do.

For starters, yes, start going to office hours.....

You have to be proactive about making sure that the professor at least knows who you are and what you want to do with yourself post-college. Maybe even get involved with their research or something like that. I got a lot of face time before asking them to write letters, then I gave them my resume and personal statement.

I got mine by volunteering (one letter writer is the director of the GPR and Hospital Dentistry Clinic), one by now working in their lab and taking their course (my science/bio professor letter; figure this one is decent since she offered me a job after graduation), two by doing research (one was a side project and the other I did my thesis with; both are dental faculty).

 

[ddsmission]

hey there SDN!

I have been in university for 3 years now but I have absolutely NO profs to ask for LORs.
I will be applying next year but want to know HOW you guys achieved excellent LORs from your profs (NOT the generic ones..."he/she got A for this course blahblah")
so I can start this year LOL

I admit I never really went to office hours so i guess this would be an option, like going to office hours once a week and so on...
please share how you obtained your LOR! 🙂


thanks again!

Honestly to get a good letter of recommendation
1. Take a class the professor teachers or research under the professor
2. I know you dont want to hear the generic answer of get an A, but this is really crucial because it shows you put time and effort into what the professor teaches.
3. You MUST start going to office hours or talk to him/her after class and ask questions about class topics, professors love students who are engaged in their class.
4. Research what the professor does at school, whether its researching in immunology or whatever
5. Alot of professors know students need letter of recommendations for schools, so just be genuine and straight up with them.
6. MOST IMPORTANTLY, introduce yourself from the beginning

basically this is how i got letter of recs from certain professors

 

[dymm]

Well...imo being genuinely interested in the subject(s) that your "future-evaluator" teaches helps. My school had lots of lab hours so I was able to spend time and get to know my professors that way. Also, professors may make announcements in class about research seminars, volunteer opportunities, and misc. events that they are passionate about - you may want to participate in those if you wish.

Most important thing for me though is that I never "forced" anything, and I never annoyed my teachers. Good luck with everything.

 

[sbesbesbe]

thanks for all the responses!
does the professor have to be someone who taught you?
what if I can get a LOR from a professor that I volunteered in a lab doing research...but it was 2 years ago?
the reason why i'm asking is because I know most schools require 2 LORs from professors...
would this be good? or should I look for 2 professors this year that I will be taking courses in?

 

[DoeAdeer]

hey there SDN!

I have been in university for 3 years now but I have absolutely NO profs to ask for LORs.
I will be applying next year but want to know HOW you guys achieved excellent LORs from your profs (NOT the generic ones..."he/she got A for this course blahblah")
so I can start this year LOL

I admit I never really went to office hours so i guess this would be an option, like going to office hours once a week and so on...
please share how you obtained your LOR! 🙂


thanks again!

.

 

[ushaseos]

thanks for all the responses!
does the professor have to be someone who taught you?
what if I can get a LOR from a professor that I volunteered in a lab doing research...but it was 2 years ago?
the reason why i'm asking is because I know most schools require 2 LORs from professors...
would this be good? or should I look for 2 professors this year that I will be taking courses in?

Michigan has a rule that Sci Letters ONLY count if they came from profs who taught you! They didn't count my research letter as a second sci letter. Fortunately the admissions advisors were very nice and explained I can send a second sci letter (I had it but couldn't put it in my AADSAS' 4 letter limit!)

Penn has a rule that 2 Letters must come from Sci profs of your major if you're a sci student.

Columbia has a rule that they want 3 Science letters or something crazy like that!

Simply put, make sure the profs you're requesting letters from are nice guys. Talk to them about the subject and genuinely have interesting questions for them in office hours. Doesn't hurt to be respectful to them either. At a larger university like Berkeley, you really have to make the prof like you for your intellectual appetite or capabilities before they'll give you a good letter...but none of that matters if the prof is a d-bag .

Both my sci letters were given because the profs and I had a great rapport and I genuinely loved their classes. My humanities letter was one I earned through going above and beyond with the subject matter and giving a 25 minute mini lecture - again I genuinely loved the class and my instructor was a very nice guy. If you pick the right classes and get the right professors LORs aren't so daunting! You just have to go the extra mile as a student (bribing isn't an option...nobody likes a suck up!)

 

[shootingstar7]

Do research for one of them, youll need it anyway

 

[dantemac]

1) Do research under them
2) Go to their office hours. Take their suggestions / study improvements. Get an A. Make an impression.
3) Be their TA
4) If you have a dental school, shadow them. Meet them through a dental science club. Get to know them and your dental school.

 

[dantemac]

Those are all just some ideas. Don't ask desperately, it won't help you.