<p>so i had a rough first two years at college...but still want to continue masters work (probably masters in international affairs/relations) first would it be better to take time off and work (not sure if i can get a job that would directly relate to my academic goals). i will graduate with a BS in labor relations. and two minors (international relations, law & society). i'm thinking of getting a job back home for 1-2 years while i pay off my student loans (<20k). </p>
<p>schools in texas really only consider your last 60 credits of undergrad (good for me?) </p>
<p>i'm at cornell right now and realize that my student record is poor. avg grades, no significant ECs (i'm on a couple list serves for clubs but dont have any leadership roles). </p>
<p>because of these limitations i realize that i will have to lower my expecations for grad school. right now i'm looking at the bush school (tamu) and texas state (san marcos). </p>
<p>do professors only care about how you performed in their classroom? i'm guessing it's better to get LOR from classes that were small/seminar style instead of lecture ones. </p>
<p>but what do professors want? good grades? office hours visits, lunch invites?</p>
<p>I am not familiar with your field, but the best rec’s come from profs you did projects or research with. One famous paper about getting into top CS schools, says at CMU they mark LOR’s with DWIC, to mean ‘did well in class’, which is aparently not worth much since they already have your grade on your transcript.</p>
<p>Professors evaluate you based on what they know about you. A LOR from a poorly known prof will basically say “Tim got an A in my class and seemed like a punctual student.”, one from a closer prof might say “Tim is passionate and knowledgable about the field, and demonstrated a great deal of ability in the classroom.”, but the gold standard is the LOR from the researcher who can say “Tim worked under me for 2 years researching XXX, and even though his research time took away from his grades I can confidently say he has an in-depth knowledge of the material, a passion for the subject, and great potential as a researcher.”</p>
<p>So when you pick your writers, aim for those who can say the best things about you. To that end, cultivate academic relationships through professional or honor societies, get involved with professors in small classes, and (above all) get into some kind of research under an amenable professor.</p>
<p>Good grades definitely help, but more important is the feeling that you understand the material - a professor who knows you well (from class, honor societies, whatever) can speak to your knowledge instead of the grades. Lunch invites are not a good idea, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Quick note: non-academic extracurriculars are generally meaningless in grad admissions. PBK or TBP count, President of the Ultimate Frisbee club doesn’t.</p>
<p>Are your last 2 years of grades good? Do you have any research or non-classroom academics you can leverage?</p>
<p>hmmm no i dont have any research…no senior thesis either…just an average under the radar student. </p>
<p>only significant thing i’ve done is be head coach to a small group of high school freshmen to prepare them for a speech & debate conference with the national hispanic institute.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, your time as a debate coach will not help for grad school. If you still have any time in school I would spend it (a) getting in on some research, (b) impressing the heck out of 3+ professors, and (c) boosting that gpa. If you are already out of school or do not feel you can accomplish the above, I would take a couple of years to work. Impress them there and then try.</p>