Recommendation Letters! ! ! =o

[95899]

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I think that a professor would have to know you well, and like you and your work to write you a letter of recommendation.

But I just spoke with a friend, who used to work for an organic chemistry professor, and he told me that complete strangers would ask the o-chem professor for letters of recommendation.

So I was wondering if anyone out there did the same thing?

Do you guys visit your professor like the last week of the quarter/semester and even though you never met the professor outside of lecture, present your academic transcript as well as your curriculum vitae and ask for a letter?

If so, do you get a good letter?

I think I'm going to try it because the worst thing that can happen is that he/she writes me a bad letter...

I've never asked anyone for a letter before and I'm not familiar with this process. So, this may sound stupid... Can someone explain to me how this works? Like what do you do... just present your transcript and resume and ask for a letter and come back a few weeks later to pick it up?

Also my friend offered me an explanation for why students are asking questions that are beyond the scope of the material tested on exams... they are kissing up to the professor. Does this help you get a good letter?

Thanks

 

[HessExpress]

I haven't gotten LOR"S yet at this point, but in the past I used to get LOR's for other things just from random people I barely knew...It's a normal thing the professor's expect.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

I was always worried about my letters of recommendation because I found it hard to try to get to know professors when most of my classes has 200+ people. Then I found out that it is acceptable to ask for one from a professor who doesn't know you well. Just give them enough information about yourself (resume, transcript, personal statement, etc.) so they can write more than your grade in the class. It seems strange to ask a complete stranger to recommend you, but I guess people do it all the time. You probably won't get that great of a letter, but a generic letter is better than nothing hopefully. I just asked a professor who doesn't know me to write me a letter and she actually sat down and talked with me for about 20 minutes so she could know something about me. On the other hand, some other professors haven't bothered to talk to me and just took the packet of information I had for them. I just hope having a couple of generic letters won't hurt my application.

As for the procedure for asking teachers, I asked three professors in person, and 2 via email. If you email, ask for an appointment to meet with them so they can put a face with the transcript, resume, etc. You might have to keep reminding them to write the letter, but don't be annoying by asking every few days. I have one professor who I asked 2 months ago and he keeps telling me it will be done soon, but I doubt it will ever get done. So I advise you to ask for more than you need, because now I'm scrounging around trying to get letters from teachers during the summer break. Good luck!

 

[TexasRose]

Those pesky letters!!!😡

Go ahead and ask any prof who taught a premed class where you made an A. You will want to ask for more letters than you need to turn in to your premed committee. Sometimes, someone will agree to write a letter and then forget, or it will be a wimpy letter, etc. You want to have backup.

I just asked a prof from a few years ago to write a letter 'cus one of my LOR writers is procrastinating so bad he's delaying my evaluation. (apparently he does this alot. I didn't know.) I was stressed about asking him for a letter out of the blue. He agreed like it was no big deal. Now he's my new best friend!

good luck
Theresa

 

[WuzUpDoc]

i'm a bit worried about lor's too... here's my stitch:

i already got one letter from a science prof who taught me in a real class and am getting another from a non-science prof. my third letter is going to be from my PI who also gave me a letter grade because i did honors research in his lab. i thought those 3 would suffice... HOWEVER, some schools ask for min 2 letters from science faculty members and some even go so far as to explicitly exclude letters from PIs. What do i do?! There is one prof that i had last fall who i could ask, but i never really got that close to him... i guess i could ask him but it would be sooo last minute.

thanks!

 

[sunflower79]

guys, guys.

This is one reason to go to office hours! 😉

A good letter from a TA is better than a generic letter from a professor. See if you can get the prof to co-sign the TA's letter. If you're going for the professor letter, then I agree go meet with the professor for at least a half hour. Bring your personal statement and resume and treat it like it's significant, b/c it is. Generic letters, from what I hear, do nothing to help you (imagine the next applicant is just like you except s/he has great letters!).

good luck,
sunflower79 🙂