Asking Prof to write Recommendation Letter during semester?

Graduate School
1

<p>Is it okay to ask a professor to write a recommendation letter during the semester you are taking a class with them, and if so, how long into the class should you wait?</p>

<p>Or, is it better to wait until the end of the semester after you finished with their class? </p>

<p>I feel like a couple professors I have have really helped me figure out what I want to study in graduate school, and I didn't know if it was okay to talk to them about my intentions to pursue graduate school during the semester and that I would appreciate it if they would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation?</p>

<p>Thoughts...?</p>

2

<p>I think your professors would be delighted to hear that you are going to graduate school (its refreshing for them to see someone interested in their field). However, if you will know them better and will have impressed them more by the end of the semester than ask for the recommendation then. I would also ask them for their opinion on things related to graduate school during their offices hours throughout the semester. They are likely to have advice this forum can't provide and you can schmooze them even more.</p>

3

<p>Thanks a lot for the reply - I really liked your advice. I just didn't know if it was common.</p>

<p>I am sure that they will know me better by the end of the semester, but then again, I'm thinking that if I tell them during the semester what my intentions are (to pursue graduate school in that field), they might be able to keep a close eye on how I do during the class, and therefore would be more capable of writing a good recommendation letter?</p>

<p>I also didn't want to come across like I was just trying to get a "better grade" or something like that by bringing it up to them during the semester...you know what I mean?</p>

4

<p>If you can afford to wait, don't ask for the recommendation letter before the professor can give you what you want. Do you want a letter based on three weeks of work?</p>

<p>I would recommend discussing graduate school plans with them during the semester, however. Use the office hours accordingly. The better you get to know them, the better you can do in their class, the better they are then able to write you a letter, having worked with you for 10-15 weeks.</p>

<p>So, like you said: they will know you better at the end of the semester, but if you note to them that you are looking to go into grad school there's a good chance they'll be better able to watch you and write an informed LOR.</p>

<p>I am not sure how them knowing you intend to go to grad school is going to get you a "better grade" -- in a lot of cases I'd actually expect them to be a little HARDER on you, not easier. Remember that consequence, too: if you want to go to grad school, you had better be able to demonstrate to them that you're a good candidate.</p>

5

<p>That's a very good point undecided; I didn't look at it that way. (The point you made about them being harder on me in grading because of the fact that I was interested in pursuing graduate school.)</p>

<p>So, basically it would probably be best to wait until after the semester to actually ask them to write me a letter of recommendation; but it might be smart to let them know my intentions to pursue graduate school in their field during the semester so they can help me and offer advice on the process and any additional readings outside the classroom, etc.?</p>

6

<p>Ask at the end of the semester. Let them know through the semester and ask for advice.</p>

7

<p>Definitely my perspective on it, granted_business.</p>

<p>For you, also: make sure you keep track of everything you do in their class(es) that is relevant to graduate school, and keep hold of graded assignments (especially anything with comments on it). When it comes time to ask for the letter of recommendation, you will want to give them hard evidence of your performance and a summary of what you'd like for them to highlight about you in their letter.</p>

8

<p>Thanks a lot for the advice - I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>I think everything you suggested definitely sounds like a smart thing to do.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

9

<p>I don't agree with the advice that the granted<em>business should wait until the end of the semester to ask for a letter. S/he should wait until the application period in which s/he will be applying for grad school rolls around. Typically, applications for grad school are due in early December. So, if you are not a senior or would like to take some time off before grad school granted</em>business, you should actually wait until next year or beyond to ask for a letter. If you ARE a senior and don't wish to take time off, you should be requesting the letter within a month so you can make the deadlines.</p>

10

<p>I would hope that the OP is not applying this December. If so, (s)he should ask profs with whom (s)he already has a relationship. It is bad form to ask for a rec before the semester is over, as the prof is then in the position of writing a letter before the student has really proven he deserves one. What if the prof writes a letter, and then student does terribly in the rest of the semester? Most prefer to wait for the end of the course.</p>

<p>If you are applying in the future, I agree that you should not ask for the physical letter until around the time of application (see below). But it is wise to ask the profs at the end of the semester if they would be willing to write you a letter of rec for your future grad school application. This keeps you from scrambling later, as well as putting it in their heads when your work is still fresh in their minds. When you do have to ask for the actual letter, it is much easier to find them and say, "I'm applying for grad schools. We discussed a letter of rec at the end of fall semester last year. Are you still able to write a letter?" Because you previously talked about it, this is a much easier conversation. The profs may even go ahead and write the letter right away and simply save it on their computers for later, making it (probably) more detailed (fresher knowledge) and easier to get (less waiting).</p>

<p>For reference - letters of rec should be in order by the end of junior year or beginning of senior year. They should be from academics that know your work well by the beginning of your senior year. You should give letter writers at least a month, preferably two, before the time you want to have letters collected. It is wise to set a deadline two weeks before you need to mail them, as profs forget. This avoids deadline panic.</p>

11

<p>I disagree. If you need a letter, then it's better to warn the prof ahead of time, well before he needs to start to write it. That way, he will naturally pay more attention to how you do, as the term wears on, and by the end of the term he might actually have something more to say about you. Of course, profs who know you better are better to approach, but if you have to approach this one prof then that is a better way to do it.</p>

12

<p>I strongly disagree with waiting until the application period to ask for the letter. If you are unlikely to have another course with the professor, asking after the semester you take a course with them is when they'll be able to write, with the experience fresh in mind, about your abilities and achievements. Even if you are expecting to have them later on, it might be a good idea to ask them to write it -- or at least begin to write it -- and revise/update it later.</p>

<p>Conventionally, you won't need to ask for letters until October/November or so of your senior year, or 2-3 months before whichever application deadline you're working with. If you're worried about losing it, remember to ask the university (typically the Career Center or whichever Graduate School advising department you have) about a letter service, where they compile and store LoRs for a particular length of time (2-5 years unless otherwise requested, I believe). </p>

<p>In short, ask yourself this: What benefit do you reap from waiting?</p>

<p>In the case of asking for the professor to write the letter, you obviously benefit from waiting until the semester is over so that the professor is able to write accurately and effectively about your work. In the case of asking the professor to write the letter any length of time after you have the class from them, you may take other classes with them and you may do some more impressive things they can reference (working independently with them on a research project, submitting a paper, etc.). Of course, I see FAR more potential for them forgetting what things you have done.</p>

13

<p>Personally, because of the wide variations in letter requirements (forms to be filled out with answers to specific questions, narrative letters to be composed on letterhead, etc.), AND because of the possibility of either positive or negative intervening events between the student taking one of my classes and needing a letter, I don't want to be asked to write until about two months before letters are to be sent.</p>

<p>AT THAT TIME, it is a student's responsibility to furnish me with all the "reminders" I need in order to write an effective letter. </p>

<p>When I agree to write, I always ask students to provide me with names and numbers of courses taken with me, copies (preferably marked) of papers written for me, a resume, and a copy of a personal statement written for one of the applications. The students who arrive with this stuff already in hand are the ones that impress me most.</p>

<p>In other words, it is not about me "forgetting." It is about YOU being organized and professional and furnishing me with the information I need. Only after receiving this packet of material can I write the most effective letter possible.</p>

<p>Just my position on the issue. Your mileage may vary.</p>

14

<p>That is certainly your prerogative and I understand the perspective. From my experience, I would still recommend asking a professor who doesn't have a direct policy like that at the end of the semester in which the class was taken.</p>

<p>If things happen, particularly good? If a form asks specific questions? If it needs particular formatting? Then I would probably go back. But I tend to imagine those situations are the exception rather than the rule, hence blanket suggesting: 1) discussing with the professor your plans about grad school (asking questions, acknowledging that you're feeling them out about a LoR); 2) asking for a letter at the end of the semester.</p>

<p>Always, always, always respect what the professor asks for, though. If, in your discussions, you find out that they have a policy similar to Professor X's, by all means don't waste their time asking for a letter before you need it. </p>

<p>(I do agree that the packet Professor X mentions is a terrific idea, regardless of when you took the class. Obviously the personal statement is something particular to those close to the actual application period, but.)</p>

<p>Full disclosure, as there is a lot of great advice here: I am an undergraduate student, a senior, and I haven't done any applying myself. The advice I offer is just what I've picked up from my professors, the Career Center at my school, the literature online, and discussions with students (both those who have gone through the process themselves and those who are looking to), NOT personal experience.</p>

15

<p>Something which hasn't been said but should be is that the best letters come professors who have known students for a long time. Such professors are able to provide not only an assessment of the student's current abilities but also a chronicle of the student's intellectual development, which can be just as informative if not more so than the assessment. That said, if you as an applicant have plenty of time (either because you are young or because you will not be applying for a while,) make it a point to develop a mutually satisfying relationship with 2-3 professors for 2-3 years. That's what students at liberal arts schools usually do, if only because the situation they find themselves in is conducive to it. Unsurprisingly, LACs are great at getting undergrads into top grad program (in spite of their general inability to provide students with plentiful research experience!) I suspect the letters of rec from profs who've known the students since they were 17 plays a huge role.</p>

16

<p>What if you haven't established a friendship with a professor over the course of more than just a semester? Are there people that have applied to grad school with no "solid" recommendation from a professor? I mean, by "solid" I mean the type of recommendation that dobby speaks of. </p>

<p>I mean, say your professor realizes your potential during one semester, and it's something that he/she knows you're passionate about (pursuing graduate school in the same field), and at the end of the semester they say they will write a recommendation based upon your time spent in that one class over the course of that one semester....would that be adequate? </p>

<p>Or do professors generally not provide letters of recommendation right after a semester with a student they just had for the first time (if the student was a senior applying to graduate school for the next year)?</p>

17

<p>The issue is the strength of the rec. A rec written about how well you did in a class is all you're likely to get after one semester. That's not worth much. A prof that has known you longer, followed your academic career, and discussed your field and goals with you can give a fuller and more impressive picture of you. Those recs carry much more weight. Plus - and this is just a suspicion of mine - the ability to cultivate and maintain an academic relationship is very much a major part of academic culture. Therefore, showing you have the ability to do so would make academics see you as a person who will be more successful in the future, which is good for their program.</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
What if you haven't established a friendship with a professor over the course of more than just a semester? Are there people that have applied to grad school with no "solid" recommendation from a professor? I mean, by "solid" I mean the type of recommendation that dobby speaks of.</p>

<p>I mean, say your professor realizes your potential during one semester, and it's something that he/she knows you're passionate about (pursuing graduate school in the same field), and at the end of the semester they say they will write a recommendation based upon your time spent in that one class over the course of that one semester....would that be adequate?</p>

<p>Or do professors generally not provide letters of recommendation right after a semester with a student they just had for the first time (if the student was a senior applying to graduate school for the next year)?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think professors will generally provide recommendations whenever students ask them to, provided that the prof is given at least a month to write the letter and the student and prof have at one point conversed face-to-face.</p>

<p>What students should REALLY by thinking about is the extent to which a "positive letter" from that professor has the potential to get them into the grad school of their choice. Let's not kid ourselves, there are various types of "positive letters," and some are better than others. One such type might essentially say the student is smart and has real potential as an academic. The problem with those letters is that most of the applicants will also have them. </p>

<p>You need to figure out a way to distinguish yourself if what you want to do is get into the best programs in your field. Such distinction can come in various forms. In my opinion, the best way to distinguish yourself is to identify your research interest and talk to professors at your undergraduate school who are in that field. This is where knowing profs for a while comes in handy, since if they've known you for years they'll be better able to know whether or not you'll fit in "the club." Yes - the club, a group of academics in a specific subsubfield who treat their membership in such clubs as the defining characteristic of their lives. Petty politics like these are ultra-important and many students don't realize that.</p>

<p>However, if you are content with a "non-top" program, then a letter from a prof who has only known you for a semester might be fine. But if what you're looking for after getting your PhD is a faculty position, you need to try as hard as you can to get into the top programs in your field.</p>

<p>But of course, there are always exceptions and you may get into the top program in your field with a letter from a prof who has only known you for a short time. It may happen, but its statistically unlikely.</p>

19

<p>You guys have all given really good advice; thanks a lot for replying and taking the time to give detailed reasons for your answers.</p>

<p>So, the letters of recommendation might not matter as much at lower tier schools than top-tier schools, correct? I need to brush up on that "Grad School 101" thread...</p>

<p>I'm sure there are those of us that made the decision to attend graduate school later in their academic career....I know I didn't go into undergrad school with the intentions of pursuing graduate school, and in all reality, I really didn't become interested until junior year and realized I wanted to pursue an M.A. and eventually a PhD (hopefully)... So, unfortunately I don't really have any professors that I think could write me a recommendation that would be super unique; it is one of the reasons I started this thread.</p>

20

<p>Well, even if you don't have that history with a prof, there's still plenty of things you can do to improve your chances of getting into a program. If you provide a little bit more info, while being careful to remain anonymous, about the kind of grad program you want to get into people here might be better able to assist you.</p>