Lunch/meeting with prof for rec letter

[junkct]

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Hey, I was just wondering if it was customary to ask a prof to lunch or to set up a time to sit down and chat when you ask for a LOR. I have a prof whose class I did really well in, I went to his office hours, spoken to him a lot, he knows my name/face, we're not BFFs or anything, but we're on good terms with each other and he recognizes me and I've talked to him about medicine and life and whatnot. But it was usually like me and a friend or two whenever I met with him and stuff (always <5 people), so I've never really had one-on-one time with him. However, I feel like he knows me decently well and could write a good rec. Should I ask to meet with him or something when I ask for my LOR? I mean, based on the amount he knows me now, I figured an extra 15-20 min of meeting with him wouldn't really give him much more material to work with. And I felt like setting up a meeting time with a prof is more of something you would do if you really did not know your prof that well and wanted to have SOME sort of interaction before they write the letter...

 

[nick_carraway]

Just ask if he's willing to write a letter and if he says yes, then ask if he would like to meet to discuss your application. A lunch might be a little bit much as professors tend to be pretty busy. If your LOR packet is enough information for him, he might not need to meet with you in person.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I would definitely recommend setting up a meeting...I don't know about a lunch date though, I'd probly just meet at their office.

Bring with you a copy of your CV and be prepared to talk a bit about your personal interests and accomplishments - this can help the letter writer be prepared and have a bit more to go off of.

 

[DukeMurken]

I think everyone is hitting it dead on, ask for a recommendation, and give them the option for a meeting. Some people take it, some people don't. Frankly, when you ask for the recommendation, you may talk 15 minute about it and that'll be your meeting.

Definitely do not do lunch though. It will get awkward once it comes time to pay. do you pay since they are doing you a favor, but then they want to pay because they're a professor, and then going dutch is weird. Unless you go to a school cafeteria where it is easy to go dutch, or you guys have a meal plan of some sort.

 

[junkct]

well, I'm also writing him a cover letter to include in the packet, and I'm thinking of offering to meet with him if he has any questions or would like to discuss anything. Then he can choose to follow-up on it if he wants. What else do you think I should say in a cover letter?