<p>When applying to many graduate programs, is it OK to ask the same professors to write all of the recommendation letters? I am planning to apply to 6 to 8 programs, and am wondering if getting each professor to write 8 letters is acceptable (for professors, I mean).</p>
<p>One more question. Is there any good way to get to know professors so that I can ask them for recommendations? My department is fairly big and I feel it is hard to do this, because most classes have over 60 students, professors tend to take care of only their research groups' students etc.</p>
<p>Question 1:<br>
I asked the same 5 professors for all my recommendations for graduate school and fellowships. After they write the first one, each one afterwards is just a simple switch of the school/fellowship name within the letter.</p>
<p>Question 2:
I don't have any advice for this one, because I've never taken a class with close to 60 people expect for band and PE in middle & high school.</p>
<p>For your second question I would advise you to ask anyway because some professors are pretty nice. I asked a professor whom I had last semester, but never really talked to outside of class for a recommendation letter and he agreed. The first thing he asked me when I asked was what grade he gave me for the class. So if you did fairly well it doesn't hurt to ask. I actually talked to him for like 30 minutes today discussing my background and what I would like to do in the future.</p>
<p>I think that the biggest action you can take, for the second question, is to get involved in research under a professor, if you haven't already, and if it's not too late. Then, asking that professor for recommendations is simple.</p>
<p>my schools has a service where it collects rec letters and then for money sends them out </p>
<p>i applied to 15 schools so that service was very useful for me - all of the schools had these forms they wanted me to attach to rec letters - but i felt really funny asking three busy people to fill out 15 forms for me and put each into appropriately addressed envelope to mail out with the rec letter - one of my recommenders said "well, it is our job" but still i just thought i did not want them to go through all this chaos with the paperwork</p>
<p>so i asked them to sent their letters to top 4 programs I applied to with appropriate paperwork and then used the school service to send out their letters without any forms attached to remaining 11 schools - all of the schools coped - no one called me requesting a re-send of the rec letters</p>
<p>one school (university of chicago) had a real problem with me not following their directions (and they were very thorough in everything) - they rejected me very soon, although every other school on their level accepted me - so i thought if they were so detail-oriented (anal) in their application process and valued me following their directions so much as to reject me, then i don't really want to go there anyhow ... [i don't know the reason for rejection for sure, but i can't think of anything else substantial that might have turned them off]</p>