LOR's after one quarter

[blackle]

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hey, I couldn't find this info in a search but I'm sure it's been asked before, sorry!

it seems like you shouldn't ask for a LOR unless the writer has known you for about a year. I'm a non-science major (spanish), and I've taken all the main prereq's except orgo, but I haven't had the same prof more than once. Since the only other science I'll be taking is Biochem and Orgo, I feel like I should get an LOR from one of my teachers this year. But even for the ones that knew me pretty well, they only had me for a quarter.

My advisor said I should just give them a resume and that will fill in the blanks. This seems lame to me but I might have to go with it. If my other LOR's are strong (I'm planning on having more than the minimum amount), will that make up for it? Should I email one of these profs and ask if they have research I could help out with or something, so they can actually know me better?

thanks.

 

[afterthought]

Obviously the ideal would be to get a rec from someone who has known you longer. So you could try to take another course with the one of the same profs (an elective?). I don't think trying to do research with someone solely for the purpose of getting a good rec is a good idea, though. Do research for the sake of doing research or else use your time more productively.

One of my science recs is from a prof I had for only one semester, but I've been told it was a very good one (by another prof who saw it). So it's not impossible to get good recs after just one term. I would still make sure to sit down with the prof and have a long talk about your goals, experience and such. I made a huge packet of information for my recommenders--resume, draft activities list, draft PS, transcripts, MCAT scores, etc--and told them they could completely ignore it if they wanted to, but that I wanted them to have it in case they found it useful.

You do what you gotta do. If it's impossible to get a second sci rec from a prof who knows you really well, you have to settle for--and be happy with--what's possible.

 

[Pemberley]

I had this problem. I just started back into full-time education this past January, so nobody who taught me had known me for more than 4 months at the time I had to ask them for recommendations.

I furnished each of them with a resume, a copy of my personal statement, and the Princeton career office's guide to writing recommendations for medical schools (my own school doesn't publish one, and I liked theirs.) Each one of them, on their initiative not mine, sat and talked with me for ~45 minutes about my background, interests, and motivations for medicine. If they hadn't cared enough to do that then the recs would have been pretty thin.

It's not ideal, but you can make it work well. It helped that none of the classes they taught me in were large (6,6, and 15 students, respectively.)

 

[kevster2001]

I dont think it's a big deal. Two of my recs are from prof's i only had for one semester. One of them explitictly told me he wrote an excellent recommendation for me and was more that happy to do it blablabla. Dunno about the otherone. None of my rec writers asked to sit down with me, dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing but whatever.

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

hey, I couldn't find this info in a search but I'm sure it's been asked before, sorry!

it seems like you shouldn't ask for a LOR unless the writer has known you for about a year. I'm a non-science major (spanish), and I've taken all the main prereq's except orgo, but I haven't had the same prof more than once. Since the only other science I'll be taking is Biochem and Orgo, I feel like I should get an LOR from one of my teachers this year. But even for the ones that knew me pretty well, they only had me for a quarter.

My advisor said I should just give them a resume and that will fill in the blanks. This seems lame to me but I might have to go with it. If my other LOR's are strong (I'm planning on having more than the minimum amount), will that make up for it? Should I email one of these profs and ask if they have research I could help out with or something, so they can actually know me better?

thanks.

The resume is good. Another option would be to schedule an interview with the professor. During the interview, he/she can ask questions that will fill out the blanks and also provide a sense of your character. I think some of the more effective recommendations not only demonstrate that you're hardworking/devoted, but also has descriptions about your character. Adcoms what to know...why should we believe the LOR? Do they really know the applicant?

For one of my LORs, I had lunch with the letter writer and he interviewed me about several topics as to get an overall picture about who I am and what I'm made of. Also, this allows provides a good level of assurance that the letter writer has a vested interest in writing you a good LOR.

 

[chaldobruin]

I wouldn't worry too much, out of my 3 LOR's from Professors, 2 of them are from Prof's I only had for one quarter. Its not easy to take two different classes with the same prof sometimes. Just make sure that the prof knows you SOMEWHAT when you ask for the letter, and offer to have coffee and or lunch with him/her so you can talk more about your goals and aspirations. The more time you spend with the prof, the more time he/she can learn about you and this makes the writing process easier. Provide the writer with your resume, LOR, essays, transcripts, feedback from the TA, anything that will help. That being said, having an extra quarter with the prof won't make much of a difference as you can see.