I am thinking of asking for a LOR from this professor whose class I did well in, but he might not know my name. I went to office hours fairly frequently, so I believe he knows me by face. Should I still ask him for a rec? If so, how should I go about asking? Bear in mind that I will be applying this upcoming cycle and don't have many other options.
LOR who might not know my name
- Thread starter clocks123
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that doesnt sound like a very strong letter tbh
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I got all my letters from professors that didn't know my name and might even not remember my face! They were very nice and happy to help and I think their letters were good because they got me interviews and even a few acceptances. I think you won't loose anything by asking.
How did you go about asking them? I feel like it would be kinda awkward just going into their office to ask.
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Well, it is going to be awkward anyways, but here is what I did. I tried to email first to set up an appointment or something but they wouldn't respond, so I just showed up to their offices and started by trying to remind them who I was and then I just talked about my application to med school and asked for the letter. Just be kind and polite and they should be happy to help you.
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The "general rule of thumb" is if you pass said professor around campus and they voluntarily greet you, then they should know you well enough to write you at least a decent letter. This, of course, depends on the said professor and circumstances, but it can't hurt to ask if they can write you a "comprehensive and positive" LOR. If no, thank them as they just saved your application.
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Make an appointment to "discuss future career goals." Don't just drop in, as you want some time to chat the faculty person up and remind them of your class contributions, any other interactions that might make for good LOR fodder, and personal factors that might be good to include in a letter (eg, like how you still made it to lab with a broken leg). Don't wear your jeans with the holes in them. Bring with you a copy of your unofficial transcript, a CV, a non-quirky photo, a draft of your Primary Statement if it exists, and printed instructions about where to send the letter. It is beneficial to look organized. Ask if they feel they could generate a strong letter in support of your candidacy. If they say yes, leave the materials above so they recall who you when they get around to writing the LOR. If not, thank them for their time and consider someone else.
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Completely second @Catalystik's post. This is very likely not your professor's first rodeo; it's not uncommon to have professors that don't know you particularly well to write LORs for you. I think it's best to avoid that if you can, but by doing that you are by no means guaranteed a poor LOR. Go and have a talk with them, explain your career goals, offer to give them a CV and a draft of your PS, and see where it goes. Most professors will be impressed by your motivation and are generally invested in students that are invested in their own success. Walking into an office and saying, "hey sup can I get an LOR pls?" with no other information is likely going to land you a poor or very generic LOR. Offer to be as useful to your writer as you can and they will likely respond with a good LOR.
What if I didn't have any experiences like "how I still made it to lab with a broken leg"? It was a lecture class and all I really did was go to office hours and performed well in the class.
Also how should I go about asking when I meet with them? What do I start off saying?
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Remind them of the way in which you "performed well in the class (that can mean so many different things)." Bring copies of term papers where you earned As. Remind them of a class project in which you took a lead role. Bring up a cogent point you added to a discussion or a great question you brought up, or how you set the curve for most of the tests. What do you want said about you? It's up to you to set the tone by giving these reminders.
