<p>This summer, I'm working as an assistant/intern for a professor at a prestigious university. We're doing research about computer science. The college happens to be my top choice school, so one of the reasons I signed up to intern there was to help my admissions chances. Also I find the research really interesting, and, while it doesn't directly relate to my intended major, it does help me explore opportunities in research and my interest in technology. I had been wanting to ask the professor for a recommendation, but I interact with her very little. I work with the project manager, a graduate student, much more, but I can't ask him for a recommendation. Which of the following courses of action should I take: </p>
<p>A) Get the recommendation even though the professor doesn't know me well - I could ask the grad student to act as a reference for her in writing the recommendation.
or B) Not ask for the recommendation, but still describe the work I did and list her as a reference</p>
<p>Please help! Thanks</p>
<p>There’s no point in getting the recommendation from the professor if she doesn’t know you - it’ll just be cliche and not worth it. It’s probably worse than option B, which isn’t a bad option - describing your research is just fine. Since you’ll already have your teacher recs, I’d say ask the graduate student for a letter of rec if you feel you need another one AND that the letter will be detailed and personal. Why do you feel that your grad student manager can’t write a letter for you? I think that admissions officers would still value such a letter highly.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input, zakuropanda. But do you think maybe having a professor from a particular school recommend me for that same school would have a lot more weight? I would plan on asking for a rec only for that school, not all the other ones I’m applying to.
I would feel weird asking the grad student, just because he’s not an educator.</p>
<p>The grad student project manager may not be an educator, but he’s your boss. That’s a good choice for an additional recommendation.</p>
<p>The only thing is the grad student does not go to the prestigious school where we’re conducting the research. He’s here for the summer. But, he does go to a school that is almost as good and to which I am also applying.</p>
<p>I don’t think the adcoms will care that the grad student isn’t from that specific college. It’s what he has to say about you that matters, which the professor cannot provide. Adcoms won’t give much weight to a cliche letter just because the person who wrote it works at their uni. Also, if you ask your grad manager, go ahead and use the letter for all schools you’re applying to if they accept extra recs.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter if you did your research at an Ivy college or at community college. What adcom’s want to see is what you gained from that experience, how it influenced you/your interests, and how you’ll fit into their school because of it. Get a rec from your supervisor [grad student] if you want, but it’s the quality of recs that matter, not the quantity.</p>