This is my first time posting, although I have been using this forum as a resource for the past few years. I have certainly learned a lot by reading through the threads. I have a question I don't really know the answer to, so I thought I'd post it here to get some advice from you guys. Look forward to interacting on this board with you all in the future!
I just graduated from a 4-year university, and am trying to decide between 2 professors to ask for a letter of recommendation (something that I probably should not have waited until now to do...). The first professor is from my freshman general biology class, Fall 2006. He's a nice guy, and from what my friends tell me writes good letters. I also got an A in his class. But because he has not known me for the past 3.5 years, it would be hard for him to write me a very strong letter based on personal experiences.
The other professor is my OChem professor from junior year, Fall 2008. I struggled through his class, and was extremely lucky to barely get a B. But because I had to go to his office hours to get help, I think he'll remember who I am and that I worked hard. He is also the type of professor who cares a lot about the well-being of his students, and I'm pretty sure he can speak positively about the poor grades I received early in the class and my efforts to overcome them (junior year was definitely a crap year for me in many ways).
I suppose the question boils down to, "for a professor from whom I am receiving a LOR from, how important does the grade from that class matter?" Of course, it's nice if I have an A in the class, but how low would your grade have to be before you would no longer consider asking that professor for a letter?
I appreciate whatever time or response you can give. Hopefully I didn't overcomplicate anything here.
I just graduated from a 4-year university, and am trying to decide between 2 professors to ask for a letter of recommendation (something that I probably should not have waited until now to do...). The first professor is from my freshman general biology class, Fall 2006. He's a nice guy, and from what my friends tell me writes good letters. I also got an A in his class. But because he has not known me for the past 3.5 years, it would be hard for him to write me a very strong letter based on personal experiences.
The other professor is my OChem professor from junior year, Fall 2008. I struggled through his class, and was extremely lucky to barely get a B. But because I had to go to his office hours to get help, I think he'll remember who I am and that I worked hard. He is also the type of professor who cares a lot about the well-being of his students, and I'm pretty sure he can speak positively about the poor grades I received early in the class and my efforts to overcome them (junior year was definitely a crap year for me in many ways).
I suppose the question boils down to, "for a professor from whom I am receiving a LOR from, how important does the grade from that class matter?" Of course, it's nice if I have an A in the class, but how low would your grade have to be before you would no longer consider asking that professor for a letter?
I appreciate whatever time or response you can give. Hopefully I didn't overcomplicate anything here.
