<p>I'm a biomedical engineering major and I'm thinking about getting my masters as well. I want to attend the same grad school that I'm doing my undergrad schoolwork at (University of Iowa). My gpa is fine and I'm confident that I can obtain a good score on the GRE, but the thing that concerns me is obtaining 3 letters of recommendation. I'm a very quiet, shy person so I never really developed relationships with my professors. I very rarely went to office hours, because I never needed much help on my homework. I figure I could probably ask my advisor, because he sees me every semester and knows me the best. I also have another professor in mind that taught a 16 person class I was taking, so I figure he at least knows me better than others would. I'm not sure who I would ask for a third letter. Do you think I should try to secure these letters before taking the GRE? Or should I take the GRE and ask for the letters later?</p>
<p>I think that you should be asking for letter writers at least a month before the applications are due (generally mid-December), preferably two months. I think as long as you take the GRE prior to the application deadline they will get reported to the school, but you can check with the GRE website to be sure.</p>
<p>I thin the more important thing is to develop some relationships with professors this fall. Try and get involved with some research, helping out in a lab and such. It will really help with admissions.</p>
<p>Getting involved with research is generally the best way to get letters of rec (and show that you know what you’re getting in to and have the skills to be successful in graduate school), but it might be difficult to do this before applications are due (particularly if they are due in the fall). If applications are due later, you have the rest of summer and fall to get involved with something, if you haven’t already.</p>
<p>I had the same problem with going to office hours as you, but you can go to office hours just to talk to the professor (or you can ask to set up an appointment; perhaps, offer to buy them a cup of coffee or something). You can ask them about their research (which professors love to talk about =D) or maybe how they got to the position they are in now. Tell them you are looking at attending graduate school, and ask if they have any advice or something similar. That can be a way to let them know a little bit more about you. My school had a program set up where you could have lunch or dinner with a professor at the faculty club (which the school paid for)–maybe you could see if your school has something similar?</p>