Getting a Recommendation

Transfer Students
1

<p>For this special program that I'm applying to in my school, I need to get a science recommendation letter by april (the deadline). I don't think I interacted enough with my semester 1 professors because I didn't know that I needed a letter until late in the semester, so I'm going to try to get a letter from semester 2 bio professor. There are 3 bio lecturers for the class (they cover material for one month each). Thing is, the intro science classes at my school are huge (350 people) so the only time I could get to see them is in office hours. However, their office hours conflict with next semester's classes, so I would have to email them to set up appointments. Would it seem odd to them that the same student keeps e-mailing them to set up appointments? (considering that they are very busy people) How often would I have to meet with them to get a good letter of recommendation?</p>

<p>I also could ask one of my first semester bio teachers, but I only met with him face-to-face once but he noticed that I sat in the front of the lecture and we communicated a lot through e-mail and blackboard discussion forum</p>

2

<p>I would go the Bio class you have already completed, as it appears you have done well. Most bio classes are large, which I assume most schools know. In same cases, recommendations can come from lab TAs, although I would personally always go for the professor. I would try and meet the professor[or you can do so over email as you have been] and explain what the particular recommendation needs and see if he has any questions. I was lucky when I did apps last year, I had seminar style lectures.</p>

3

<p>My suggestion,</p>

<p>Print out a news article online (about science) and show the professor before/after class. It's an easy way to start up a conversation and it will show you have an interest in the field. I did this last semester in my psychology class. I walked up to his desk and explained the article and asked what he thought about it. He skimmed the article and we chatted for about ten minutes. I made sure to drop some of the terms we learned in class too!</p>