LOR - teachers looking at transcript

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Gurl21

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My teachers are going to look at my overall transcript when writing my LOR. I'm embarrassed to say some of my grades are not good, and my overall gpa is on the lower end. Is this going to bias them and make them write a crappier letter than they would've had they not seen my transcript? Or do they evaluate mostly how you performed in their class and ur EC's and personal statement and what they know of you? They say good LOR's are important for ppl w/ lower gpa's, but how can you get a stellar LOR if your gpa is low? 😕
 
Gurl21 said:
My teachers are going to look at my overall transcript when writing my LOR. I'm embarrassed to say some of my grades are not good, and my overall gpa is on the lower end. Is this going to bias them and make them write a crappier letter than they would've had they not seen my transcript? Or do they evaluate mostly how you performed in their class and ur EC's and personal statement and what they know of you? They say good LOR's are important for ppl w/ lower gpa's, but how can you get a stellar LOR if your gpa is low? 😕

by asking professors that knows you and likes you and is willing to help you no matter what your overall GPA is. Those are the professors you're asking for letters from right?? Besides good LORs should be based on THEIR personal experiences and anecdotes with you, not a summary presentation of your academic achievement...

I have the lowest GPA ever, and it was a non-issue in my letters... not one of them talked about my grades, just what they thought of me and what their experiences with me were in their class.
 
One of my professors put it this way to another one of her student research assistants: "I know you're a decent person, and I know you have made mistakes. But you've done well when you work for me and that is what will be reflected in your letter."
 
ISU_Steve said:
One of my professors put it this way to another one of her student research assistants: "I know you're a decent person, and I know you have made mistakes. But you've done well when you work for me and that is what will be reflected in your letter."

I think a lot of recommendors share that same sentiment.
 
Thanks for the comments guys. I feel more reassured 🙂
 
Update: a couple of my teachers want to address my low gpa in my letter, but then talk about how well I did in their class. Why can't they just focus more on the class without mentioning my shortcomings? 🙁 .. I was ranked in the top 10% of a hard science class...that teacher told me she was impressed with my performance but wondered how I did so well seeing as though it didnt correlate with my gpa (i felt insulted)

I feel like this is a catch 22. People say that if your gpa is borderline, good letters can help, but how can you get good letters if your gpa is borderline?

It's evident that the bad grades I got in some of my classes freshman and sophomore year are not reflective of my intelligence because a) coming into college I was a National Merit Scholar with a 4.0 gpa from an IB school and b) my recent upward trend in grades.

Blahh 🙁 Any comments, advice, encouragement..?
 
I bet u are in a big schools where profs donot give a crap about their students. Make friends with some of your professors or I should say "Make them fall in love with you", stressing student-profs relationship. They should write u a letter regardless of your shortcomings. Screw the odd ones.



Gurl21 said:
Update: a couple of my teachers want to address my low gpa in my letter, but then talk about how well I did in their class. Why can't they just focus more on the class without mentioning my shortcomings? 🙁 .. I was ranked in the top 10% of a hard science class...that teacher told me she was impressed with my performance but wondered how I did so well seeing as though it didnt correlate with my gpa (i felt insulted)

I feel like this is a catch 22. People say that if your gpa is borderline, good letters can help, but how can you get good letters if your gpa is borderline?

It's evident that the bad grades I got in some of my classes freshman and sophomore year are not reflective of my intelligence because a) coming into college I was a National Merit Scholar with a 4.0 gpa from an IB school and b) my recent upward trend in grades.

Blahh 🙁 Any comments, advice, encouragement..?
 
2pac said:
I bet u are in a big schools where profs donot give a crap about their students. Make friends with some of your professors or I should say "Make them fall in love with you", stressing student-profs relationship. They should write u a letter regardless of your shortcomings. Screw the odd ones.

Yup! You got that right.. even my upper division science classes have ~300 people in them.
 
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