<p>Junior here, shooting for aerospace engineering programs at topnotch colleges. So far, I have worked in two different research labs. One over the summer after the sophomore year and one over the semesters. The two research advisers are willing to write me a strong letter of recommendation (LOR). I still need a third LOR for grad school before I apply next fall semester(junior now). I have two options.</p>
<p>Option A: Get the third LOR from a professor, who was an astronaut, went to one of the top 3 colleges for aerospace for MS, very smart and respected, knows me very well because I am the president of a club in relevant field (guess) that he is the adviser for and also, I have taken and am still taking several classes (about 5 so far) with him and scored not just straight As but also the highest scores on almost all midterms and finals. Sadly, he is a professor of practice and doesn't have a PhD (honorary PhD though); very few patents but no publication. He does know that I do research with his colleagues and do projects for his club.
1) Should I get an LOR from this professor next fall semester when applying to grad schools?
2) Also, should I personally ask him to mention special things like scoring highest on most of his tests on the LOR?
I don't know if he would mention things like that and I know he wouldn't mind me asking that because he's a really nice guy and he knows me as a hardworking student. I think special points like those might add weight and also counter the fact that I didn't do research for him.
Also, he used to be my academic adviser in my freshman year but the dept switched me to another one now. I still see him for counseling and club affairs more than my actual adviser.
3) Would it help even slightly or does it not matter if he was my academic adviser and I get an LOR from him?
4) Should I ask him to switch me back to his advising just so he and I can mention in applications that he was my academic adviser?
5) And should I mention to him that I want to switch to his advising now to help me with my grad app? Would that be polite and reasonable?</p>
<p>Option B: Look for a third research project for this coming summer after junior year even though my current research adviser, who I also plan to get my main LOR from and work for until I graduate, said she would pay me to work for her over the summer trying to accelerate my current project and getting published and go to conferences later (even though we're very far from publishing as of now). I did tell her that I am looking for another summer project just to get a third LOR. I am applying for a research project at a top notch university that I want to join where my third LOR prof from above went for MS, and assuming I get in I could get a third LOR. If I join that research project, I would gain opportunities to make connections in that host college and increase my chances of getting in there for grad school and work for the same or different professor. If I stay on campus though, I would have to settle for a strong (I think) yet non-research adviser LOR from the previously mentioned professor.
6) Should I try to get into that other research program at the school of my choice or should I just stay on my campus?</p>
<p>To apply to that summer research program, I would still need 3 LOR now, and two of them would be from my research advisers and third would be my Case A professor mentioned above. I'm trying to not end up in a situation where I wouldn't get accepted into that summer research program, and settle for my current research adviser and she'd start hating me for taking her research project as a safety. But then again, I would have to apply to find out.</p>
<p>What should I do? I know there are so many questions I posted in this long and confusing post. So, thanks if you're still reading this. I would appreciate any suggestions.</p>