LORs

[trangtn]

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So I'm applying in June 2013, and I am freaking out about the LORs.
I know that 2 will be easy to ask for since I shadowed 2 dentists for awhile and I still communicate with both of them. But I'm just finding it hard to get a LOR from a science professor since due to class sizes, I never really got to know any of my professors.

Can anyone give me advice on how to go about asking a professor for a letter of rec? I know that I'd have to provide them with a resume, letter of purpose. Anything else I should know/say and what should I do if they refuse to write me one?

Thank you in advance! :C

 

[Ferneezy]

you might be a little mixed up. sounds like you're going for two from dentists and one from a science professor.

folks here would recommend you flip that.

 

[ewu6three]

So I'm applying in June 2013, and I am freaking out about the LORs.
I know that 2 will be easy to ask for since I shadowed 2 dentists for awhile and I still communicate with both of them. But I'm just finding it hard to get a LOR from a science professor since due to class sizes, I never really got to know any of my professors.

Can anyone give me advice on how to go about asking a professor for a letter of rec? I know that I'd have to provide them with a resume, letter of purpose. Anything else I should know/say and what should I do if they refuse to write me one?

Thank you in advance! :C

I know how you feel. Asking for LORs was the thing I worried about most during the application process. I was terrified to ask my professors because I didn't know them very well at all. The best bit of advice I got when I was going through this was that you shouldn't worry about asking for a letter, because writing LORs for students is a big part of being a college professor, they expect it, and they do it routinely. I was worried about inconveniencing them, when in fact I was simply asking them to do something that is part of their job description. This made me feel better, and helped me finally work up the courage to ask. I think the best thing to do is, rather than asking them to write you a letter, ask them if they would feel comfortable doing so. And remember the absolute worst thing they can say is no. Also be prepared, go in with an updated resume, an unofficial transcript, a personal statement, etc. I have no idea why I was so anxious asking for LORs but I am glad to see I was not the only one. Good luck.

 

[CedarZ4]

As Ferneezy mentioned, you might want to swap the two. Generally, 1 LOR from a shadowed dentist is enough (2 can't hurt if it really adds something different other than, he was here for 30 hours, etc.) but you definitely need more than 1 science teacher. In fact, most schools require 2, or a committee letter.

One tip is to not forget to ask them if they are willing to write you a positive LOR. None of us want a bad LOR in the batch.

 

[Longcatislong]

Start early. Start now. Professors sure can take their sweet time with doing LORs sometimes.

Since you're from a large university (like me), you can just email the profs you want to write your letter. Tell them what class you were in, mention that you enjoyed the class and how it benefited your pre-dental education. Tell them you'll provide them with helpful materials for them to write your LOR. These materials should include your personal statement, your transcript(s) and resume. I also included a mini bio sheet about myself that profs could reference, since I was in their huge classes and I doubt they would otherwise remember who I was. Also, let them know you'd be happy to meet with them in person during their office hours to discuss this.

 

[UCSFx2017]

I would get more face time and one-on-one time with the professors you want to ask. I would approach the professor after class if there were no one in line and ask them questions that I was genuinely interested in. If the professor also teaches a lab section, I would sign up for that section over another section that another professor teaches in just so the professor and I would get to know each other. You want to make sure you do well in the class and leave a good impression as a personable and hard-working student. When the semester ends, go to their office during office hours and ask them if they could write you a strong recommendation. The key word here is "strong" because that way they understand that they are agreeing to write you a positive letter if they agree. If you ask a few months in advance, send them a friendly reminder email once a month. If they haven't written it the week or two before your application, you should meet up with them if possible. This might be hard if they are not on campus during the summer. If your application is sent and your LOR hasn't been sent but your DAT isn't uploaded, you can afford to wait on that LOR for a little longer.

If you did not get to know your professors, you shouldn't expect strong LOR. There are pre-medical articles on SDN that explain what a strong LOR is. If the only information that they have of you is your letter grade, your LOR will most likely be generic.

 

[UCSFx2017]

Here I found the article for you.

http://studentdoctor.net/2010/03/the-art-of-obtaining-a-stellar-letter-of-recommendation/

 

[trangtn]

Thank you so much everyone! Many of these comments have really encouraged me alot 🙂
I will definitely take them all into consideration when I request for my LORs

 

[Teeths]

I understand where you're coming from on this... I never really went to office hours during my undergraduate time since I didn't have too many questions, and if I did, I could usually just look them up online and be done with it much quicker. But for classes that I got A's in, I asked those professors for a LOR after emailing/going to their office hours and providing them with my transcript, personal statement, resume, and why I did well in their course. Most of the professors were receptive and acted like it was no big deal to write one, but one literally grilled me in their office about what grade I got on each test, my grade in the lab, if I remembered a few things, etc and told me to come back to him if other professors said no (even though I had all A's on everything) . Horror story for that one, but I think they were just an exception haha. However, like UCSF stated, I think there's real importance to a more personal LOR and not just your generic 'This student did well in my course....' letter. I will be applying again this June and I am foregoing a committee letter since it took them way too long and asking for letters from professors I've had more contact with is more beneficial.

Don't worry about it so much, because like someone else said, the worst that can happen is that they say no. Good luck

 

[UltimateHombre]

I would get more face time and one-on-one time with the professors you want to ask.

This!!! 👍

If you have any hope of getting a decent lor from a professor, they need to put a face with a name. I accomplished this in a few ways:

1. Go to office hours every couple weeks to discuss class material
2. Go up after class every couple weeks and ask a question
3. Send a follow up email to these questions, reminding them of your conversation, and ask another
4. In an office hour session, bring up your dental ambitions early