Lor

[sbesbesbe]

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Hi there SDN,

I just finished my 3rd year and will be another year before I apply to US dental schools
(I am a Canadian)
I want to be as prepared as possible for the 2013/2014 cycle.
Right now, I don't have ANY professors to ask for a reference letter. I do have a couple that I can get good reference letters from:
physiotherapist (university hospital volunteer)
orthodontist (currently shadowing)
chemistry professor (research volunteer, who didn't teach me though)

I think I need at least 2 more professors (biology preferably) BUT I don't know how about I should approach this matter.
I don't want to do another research volunteer because I really want to spend most of my time studying. Should I just go to every office hour and ask later next year?
How did you guys prepare to obtain STRONG LORs from professors in a class with 200+ students?

Also, above I mentioned chemistry professor, but I was always with the graduate student and the professor barely knows me. should I ask the graduate student for the LOR and just include the professor's name?

ANY advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Biotage]

If you're not applying for another year, you have lots of time to find a few solid letters of recommendation. I'm not sure what your classes for the next year look, but if you have a class with a professor that you have had for a previous class, this would be a good person to ask. They may recognize you, and you can start taking initiative by approaching them after lecture, asking sincere questions about their lecture, and visiting office hours.

I would make sure not to be annoying - some students drop by office hours in hopes of completing the assignment in the professors office. If you're dropping by for help, have the majority of the assignment completed with specific questions. After you've visited a few times, they should start to know you by name, try to connect with them on some level. After 10 or so visits through the semester, the professor will probably feel comfortable enough to write a strong letter. I visited my prof during office hours to ask about something she said in class, and it soon transitioned into a talk about her research (profs usually LOVE to tell students about their work). I had a genuine interest and she hired me as a summer student a few months later to work in her lab for the summer.

In terms of the graduate student - I would use that as a last resort. I'm a graduate student and I know many of them would not have experience in writing a strong reference letter. Some professors would be willing to sign off (and possibly add something here and there to the letter), so it never hurts to ask, but I personally would want someone writing a reference letter for me to have done it before.

You have an entire year to get a few strong references - you should be fine! Good luck!