LOR Questions...

[Zuerst]

Anyone every asked for LORs without really going to a professor's office hours? Say maybe you just dropped by a professor's office hour a couple times not really leaving any impressions... How well did that work?

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[discus]

Anyone every asked for LORs without really going to a professor's office hours? Say maybe you just dropped by a professor's office hour a couple times not really leaving any impressions... How well did that work?

It didn't.

 

[the12thmd]

I wouldn't recommend it.

I asked these 3 people:

The Associate Dean of the College of Science at my school, who created an organization that I am a part of (and very active in).

A professor at my school who I have been working with on a research project for the past year.

A professor I have taken two classes with (received As in both), and talked to on many occasions (office hours, help sessions, etc.).

Can you think of anyone else? Good luck.

 

[whatthefong]

I am in the situation you describe concerning letters of rec. I went to this prof's OH a couple times during the course but I doubt he really remembered me, although I did well in his class. Frankly, if that's all you've got, you just gotta give it a go. I asked him for a LoR. anyway, and he agreed. He actually told me to write a draft of a LoR for him, and I'm gonna meet with him to talk further in depth next week. It helps to make a packet for the prof as well, like whipping up a personal statement and giving them your transcript and resumes, etc. All things considered, I think things have worked out well. Obviously its best if they knew you for a long period of time, but when it comes down to it, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Best of Luck!!

 

[Zuerst]

I am in the situation you describe concerning letters of rec. I went to this prof's OH a couple times during the course but I doubt he really remembered me, although I did well in his class. Frankly, if that's all you've got, you just gotta give it a go. I asked him for a LoR. anyway, and he agreed. He actually told me to write a draft of a LoR for him, and I'm gonna meet with him to talk further in depth next week. It helps to make a packet for the prof as well, like whipping up a personal statement and giving them your transcript and resumes, etc. All things considered, I think things have worked out well. Obviously its best if they knew you for a long period of time, but when it comes down to it, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Best of Luck!!

Problem is I don't really know ANY of my profs that well. Most of my classes are huge with 100~300 people.

The one prof that I know because I go to the extra HW sessions he held is from over 3 semesters back. Don't know if he remebers me now.

I mean if my current profs refuses I'll probably have to dig in to the past years which is also a problem since I never went to any of their office hours either.

LORs are probably not going to be a strong point of my application, but I do need them to even apply.

I keep telling myself to go to office hours but... ah oh well... 2 weeks of classes to go. Think I'm going to go to every office hour now.

 

[Neuro27]

Is it better to have variety of LOR?

I always heard something like:

1 from non science professor (history, art, whatever)
1 from science professor (regular good old bio class)
1 from research professor (undergrad research)
1 from doctor (clinical experience)

 

[WayChanger]

I go to UC Berkeley, and since it is a ginormous public school, getting science rec letters was quite annoying. It's not the best solution, but one option when you don't know the professors well is having your TA (who you would presumably know much better than the professor) write the letter for you, from the perspective of "we," and then have the professor co-sign it. Since the TA knows you best after all, most professors should be amenable to this.

 

[Sanctuary]

My college has a Pre-Health Advising Committee that will prepare a composite LOR and include the committe's rank, which means each of the six members of the committee will rank you Outstanding, Highly Recommend, or Recommend. This is assuming they all agree to recommend you in the first place.

As a requirement, they need at LEAST 6 letters of recommendation. Three from non science, 3 from science. They "strongly encourage" outside LORs too.. I completed the process and got excellent ratings. One member mentioned that my LORs were an "ideal" combination, so maybe this'll help ya:

Bioethics Professor
Physics Professor
General Chemistry Professor
Homeless Shelter Volunteer Coordinator
Medical School - Dept. of Neuroscience - Chairman (my thesis advisor)
Philosophy Professor
Biology Professor
Oregon State's Chief Epidemiologist

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Of the above list, I did NOT know my General Chemistry professor at all. When I emailed the committeee, they said it didn't really matter since the letter was good and that the other letters reflected a sense of knowing me. So maybe that should help you? Try to get as many LORs from people who know you, but the occasional LOR that is cookie-cutter certainly isn't a bad thing.