how to get rec letters in large schools

[premeddreamsgone]

so I got to a very large public school. all my science classes have been 300+ students. I never really have questions that are needed for office hours and if i do have a question the professors ask us to ask the TA's first just because there are so many of us.

With that, how do you develop any sort of relationships with professors for rec letters in a large classroom setting and when you don't reallly have questions for office hours. I feel like i'd be wasting his/her time in office hours b/c I already know the answer to it.

How do people who go to large schools do this?

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[MareNostrummm]

so I got to a very large public school. all my science classes have been 300+ students. I never really have questions that are needed for office hours and if i do have a question the professors ask us to ask the TA's first just because there are so many of us.

With that, how do you develop any sort of relationships with professors for rec letters in a large classroom setting and when you don't reallly have questions for office hours. I feel like i'd be wasting his/her time in office hours b/c I already know the answer to it.

How do people who go to large schools do this?

Read up about them and ask about their research. See if you can get a position in their lab (make sure you ace their class though). That way you can work with them for an extended period of time and they will usually write you a nice letter.

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

so I got to a very large public school. all my science classes have been 300+ students. I never really have questions that are needed for office hours and if i do have a question the professors ask us to ask the TA's first just because there are so many of us.

With that, how do you develop any sort of relationships with professors for rec letters in a large classroom setting and when you don't reallly have questions for office hours. I feel like i'd be wasting his/her time in office hours b/c I already know the answer to it.

How do people who go to large schools do this?

Start out by asking insightful questions in class. Just because you already understand something to the level that you need to know for the class doesn't mean that you can't learn more about it. If the professor recognizes that you ask thoughtful questions in class, s/he will be much more likely to be willing to speak to you during office hours.

At the very least, this is how I got one of my letters of recommendation. I asked a few questions in my gen chem 2 class (~250 people), and then ended up talking to the professor a few times after class and during office hours. Towards the end of the semester, he invited me to take a 4-credit analytical lab from him because he thought I would enjoy the class. At the end of that semester, he offered to write me a letter of recommendation on the condition that I be a TA for the analytical lab the following semester. So basically, questions in class-->questions after class-->take another class from him-->get offered a job and a letter.

Your experiences will obviously differ, but you would be surprised at how much a lot of professors will notice and appreciate a student who takes even a moderate interest in what they have to teach.
EDIT: @MareNostrummm also speaks the truth.

 

[efle]

My 2¢ : Don't try to get letters from a 300 person lecture. Even if you go to office hours a few times, it's going to be a very generic letter. You want smaller more involved classes, especially multiple with the same prof, or research supervisors/PI, or employers, or others that will actually know you!

 

[bricktwelve]

My 2¢ : Don't try to get letters from a 300 person lecture. Even if you go to office hours a few times, it's going to be a very generic letter. You want smaller more involved classes, especially multiple with the same prof, or research supervisors/PI, or employers, or others that will actually know you!

Most committees specifically require one or two letters from professors who taught you a science class, so for the sake of this post, I will assume the OP HAS to have a science prof letter in addition to whatever, potentially better, PI/employer/whatever letters they may get.

While I would agree that it is generally easier to get good letters from smaller more involved classes, I don't think getting letters from professors of 300 person lecture classes necessarily has to lead to a bad or generic letter. And for most non-science majors at large universities, these may be their only realistic options for science letters. I know several people who have gotten outstanding letters from such classes. The key is:

1) Selectively target classes where the professor is sociable and nice. It's hard to get a good letter from somebody who wants your interaction with them to be as short and efficient as possible. It's infinitely harder to do so with such a person when 300 others are vying for their attention. If you ask upperclassmen, you can often get a good idea of which professors actually make an effort to get to know their students, and those professors who simply won't get close to you no matter how hard you try
2) Go to their office hours occasionally. Ask a question or two. There has to be SOMETHING you can ask even if it's only tangentially related to the material. Then each time try to get to know them a bit more. If you did step 1 right, this should be relatively pain-free and natural. Professors are just people like everyone else. They'll make conversation, and slowly get to know you as more than a face in the sea of 300.
Then...
3) Be a TA! Most 300 person classes have undergraduate teaching assistants. Everyone I know who has gotten a good letter from a professor of these classes went on to be a TA for that professor for multiple semesters. This is where you can really build a strong relationship if you've already done the 2 above steps. You may also get unique opportunities to give guest lectures for them, help them design lessons/curriculum, etc that they can then talk about in your letter.

I know several people at prestigious programs whose only science professor rec letters were from those they took 300+ person classes with, whose interviewers commented about how good their science prof letters were. All of these people followed the 3 steps above.

 

[Mclovin0351]

I got two letters from professors who teach those sorts of classes. It all starts with a genuine interest in the subject matter. If you study it hard enough, you will have good questions. Most professors really appreciate the rare student who takes a genuine interest in their field and who can talk about it intelligently with them.

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

My 2¢ : Don't try to get letters from a 300 person lecture. Even if you go to office hours a few times, it's going to be a very generic letter. You want smaller more involved classes, especially multiple with the same prof, or research supervisors/PI, or employers, or others that will actually know you!

Some of us don't have this option. All my science classes lecture has 250-350 students.

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

Office hours. Try to go at least 8-10 times. Even if you're good with the material. Go to practice some, ask questions about it, ask them about their research, and talk to them in general. Get to know them. Also after class if you can, go up and talk to them.

 

[bobeanie95]

Office hours. Try to go at least 8-10 times. Even if you're good with the material. Go to practice some, ask questions about it, ask them about their research, and talk to them in general. Get to know them. Also after class if you can, go up and talk to them.

This. I also go to a large state school and I probably went to my professors office hours at least every week ( I felt solid with the material, but just do it for the face time). Also, sometimes other students don't go so it's a great way for them to get to know you personally.

 

[getfat]

How do people who go to large schools do this?

Office Hours and you have to ace easily ace the class.

 

[Lucca]

Some of us don't have this option. All my science classes lecture has 250-350 students.

Even the upper level coursework?? My intro chemistry class was about 200 but my chemistry class now senior year is like 20-25 ppl.

My advice, going to a large school, is:

1. Become an upperclassmen
2. Take a class known for its small size
3. Profit

Barring that use the OH approach

 

[efle]

Some of us don't have this option. All my science classes lecture has 250-350 students.

I've never heard of any university without some smaller upper level options. Like advanced labs are not 300 person classes.

 

[libertyyne]

This might be lame but, after class I would walk with the professor to their office talking about the subject matter content or questions I had or just shoot the ****. I ended taking smaller classes from the professor and receiving a lor from them.

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

Barring that use the OH approach

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

I've never heard of any university without some smaller upper level options. Like advanced labs are not 300 person classes.

Literally all of them are a couple hundred. My school is top 5 in the nation in population. How can a lab get you a LOR?

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

Even the upper level coursework?? My intro chemistry class was about 200 but my chemistry class now senior year is like 20-25 ppl.

My advice, going to a large school, is:

1. Become an upperclassmen
2. Take a class known for its small size
3. Profit

Barring that use the OH approach

Yeah my school is big. The upper level ones still have 180-250 students. Its crazy.

 

[honey0102]

so I got to a very large public school. all my science classes have been 300+ students. I never really have questions that are needed for office hours and if i do have a question the professors ask us to ask the TA's first just because there are so many of us.

With that, how do you develop any sort of relationships with professors for rec letters in a large classroom setting and when you don't reallly have questions for office hours. I feel like i'd be wasting his/her time in office hours b/c I already know the answer to it.

How do people who go to large schools do this?

Even if you don't have questions, go to office hours-you can discuss the course content and how it applies to broader fields, or research, with them. Your conversation does not need to be strictly tied to what is mentioned in lecture. Or if you see something interesting in the book that wasn't covered in lecture, ask about that, for example. I'd also recommend sitting in the front.
If you do really well like perform as one of the top students in the class that also helps

 

[efle]

Literally all of them are a couple hundred. My school is top 5 in the nation in population. How can a lab get you a LOR?

I got a LoR from an upper level (400+) lab (~15 students, with a couple grad students and the prof). My main science classes that all the premeds take were like 300 per section x2-3 sections but when you get deep into your major that stops. Pretty sure all of the 5 largest universities offer labs or obscure upper level classes that are smaller. If you can name the university I can look at catalog

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

I got a LoR from an upper level (400+) lab (~15 students, with a couple grad students and the prof). My main science classes that all the premeds take were like 300 per section x2-3 sections but when you get deep into your major that stops. Pretty sure all of the 5 largest universities offer labs or obscure upper level classes that are smaller. If you can name the university I can look at catalog

I'm ok with it. I go to office hours and that is how I get to know my professors.

 

[efle]

Most committees specifically require one or two letters from professors who taught you a science class, so for the sake of this post, I will assume the OP HAS to have a science prof letter in addition to whatever, potentially better, PI/employer/whatever letters they may get.

While I would agree that it is generally easier to get good letters from smaller more involved classes, I don't think getting letters from professors of 300 person lecture classes necessarily has to lead to a bad or generic letter. And for most non-science majors at large universities, these may be their only realistic options for science letters. I know several people who have gotten outstanding letters from such classes. The key is:

1) Selectively target classes where the professor is sociable and nice. It's hard to get a good letter from somebody who wants your interaction with them to be as short and efficient as possible. It's infinitely harder to do so with such a person when 300 others are vying for their attention. If you ask upperclassmen, you can often get a good idea of which professors actually make an effort to get to know their students, and those professors who simply won't get close to you no matter how hard you try
2) Go to their office hours occasionally. Ask a question or two. There has to be SOMETHING you can ask even if it's only tangentially related to the material. Then each time try to get to know them a bit more. If you did step 1 right, this should be relatively pain-free and natural. Professors are just people like everyone else. They'll make conversation, and slowly get to know you as more than a face in the sea of 300.
Then...
3) Be a TA! Most 300 person classes have undergraduate teaching assistants. Everyone I know who has gotten a good letter from a professor of these classes went on to be a TA for that professor for multiple semesters. This is where you can really build a strong relationship if you've already done the 2 above steps. You may also get unique opportunities to give guest lectures for them, help them design lessons/curriculum, etc that they can then talk about in your letter.

I know several people at prestigious programs whose only science professor rec letters were from those they took 300+ person classes with, whose interviewers commented about how good their science prof letters were. All of these people followed the 3 steps above.

3) Be a TA moves them from the giant lecture prof they saw at office hours, to the role of supervisor/employer that makes for good letters. Doing just 1) and 2) is going to get you letters that are on the weak side, imo.

 

[efle]

I'm ok with it. I go to office hours and that is how I get to know my professors.

I am glad it is working for you to go after the giant lecture profs, but there are smaller class options too right? You don't have to go for those giant lecture profs.

 

[freak7]

Barring that use the OH approach

I feel like dumping a strong base on a prof would be a good way to not get a strong LOR from them.

 

[ViolaHastings]

At my school, you can try to honor any class, if the professor offers this, even without being in the honors college. Usually the project involves occasional/weekly meetings with the prof. This works well for a LOR because you will get to engage with the prof on a project of their choice, usually something they are particularly interested in, and get to meet with them often. This also gives them more to discuss than just your performance in the class.