Question about LORs

[miracleman91]

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Hey all, I'm a undergrad student whose spending his summer studying intensely for the PCATs. I'm going to be a senior this coming fall and i was wondering, what's the best way to ask for letters of recommendations from professors?

My gpa is abysmal (3.09) , but I was wondering how would i go about asking these science professors for a letter of recommendation? I hate to admit it but, i have never even gotten a single A in my science classes, I've mostly gotten B+s and Bs. My classmates and friends told me that I shouldn't even bother with asking them for letters of recommendations. As for non-science classes, I've gotten A's like psychology, statistics, and history.

So what is the best option for me now? Should i still ask the Science professors for a LOR even though i haven't gotten an A in their course?

 

[smercer]

Are you are very close to a professor outside of the sciences? By this I mean will they be able to report well about your character, work ethic, etc. from expereinces they have had with you. If this is not the case I would not use them.

The LoR form that they fill out from PharmCas will ask what relation they have to you(ie what they were a professor for). Thus the letter will be a bit weaker if it is not from a science professor or pharmacist.

Have you taken certain science professors multiple times? The more a professor is around you, then the more information they will have to describe you...this can be both good and bad.

Be honest with the professors. GO TO THEIR OFFICE----do not email to ask for one. Talk to them and tell them your concerns. Turns out they do not want you to fail at life. They did not pick the profession of teaching because they want to make your life crappy and watch you fail. They want to help you, but they also will not bend over backwards for you. I am sure if you are honest with them and ask if they think they can write a good letter from their experiences with you, then they will give you some feedback on it. They may not be brutally honest and say no, you have never impressed me, but they may tell you they think you could get a better one from a different professor/say they do not have time at the moment/insert random excuse to not make you feel like crap. This is good though...would you rather them turn you down or waste one of your LoRs. If it seems pretty much all of them are trying to get you not to use them...then I would go with one of your "A" professors.

 

[ac1990]

My ochem professor told me he will still gives LORs to students that have gotten As, Bs and even Cs. He will write about how you are as a student, your aptitude and commitment for the subject.

Most schools will ask for a science professor LOR. If you were close to a science professor, go to their office and ask him/her. If not, do not get disappointed if they deny your request. They are doing you a favor by their refusal, an obscure LOR is worse than no science LOR.

 

[Twentytwelve2]

Hey all, I'm a undergrad student whose spending his summer studying intensely for the PCATs. I'm going to be a senior this coming fall and i was wondering, what's the best way to ask for letters of recommendations from professors?

My gpa is abysmal (3.09) , but I was wondering how would i go about asking these science professors for a letter of recommendation? I hate to admit it but, i have never even gotten a single A in my science classes, I've mostly gotten B+s and Bs. My classmates and friends told me that I shouldn't even bother with asking them for letters of recommendations. As for non-science classes, I've gotten A's like psychology, statistics, and history.

So what is the best option for me now? Should i still ask the Science professors for a LOR even though i haven't gotten an A in their course?

Although I received A's in the classes with the professors I asked, I did not know them very well. The great thing was the small class size in lab. Even then, I was not a chatter mouth in class nor did I need help outside of class to use office hours. But I think you leave an impression on your professor every single day without knowing it.

Here's my conclusion, I am sure your science (lab) professors may remember you well enough because they observed you throughout the quarter/semester. And I know they want you to succeed because professors love their students! Even if they don't know your past history or your pharmacy passion, these information can be given to them in the form of a short essay, personal statement, or resume.

So yes I think you should ask your science professors. Send them a brief email starting with Dear [name], and ask them politely if they will write a LoR on your behalf for X school. Also, at the very end, you want to mention that you are willing to assist in every way possible, ie sending them your documents or meeting them in person. If they say no, breathe deep, and move on with your life. It is not good to stress/think about the rejections.

It never hurts to try! And you will be so happy when they reply back with an eager yes.😍

 

[xtsukiyox]

I second making an appointment & speaking with the professors in person. You can get so much more of a feel for what the quality of the letter might be if you can judge their reaction in person. Pick the prof you had the most interaction with, or that might be able to speak to your tenacity in studying.

If the reaction wasn't a big question for the OP, I dig Twentytwelve2's approach.