<p>So I stupidly realized fairly recently I need to get letters of recommendations seeing as I am trying to apply for Fall, 2011. At first I thought I had plenty of time, however, if I am to apply by November, I would need recommendations before the start of my senior year!</p>
<p>Now all my classes are large lectures, even the upper division courses, and I have no relationships with my teachers. I don't even know how to go about getting them to write a letter for me. Besides being a good student, I don't really participate in class (large lecture hall) or talk to them. I've went to one office hours so far this quarter; should I simply try to make myself known in office hours and ask for a rec at the end of the quarter??</p>
<p>Also: do you need two ACADEMIC rec letters? My boss from a summer internship has offered to write me a letter of rec; do I need two from professors or would one be enough (paired with my former boss' letter).</p>
<p>Read the rules of the particular law schools to which you are applying. Most, but not all, law schools require two academic recs from applicants who have been out of college for less than 5 years. </p>
<p>If you don’t know any profs, are there any TAs or TFs or whatever your school calls them who know you well? If so, a rec from one who knows you well will work better than one from a prof who doesn’t know you from Adam. </p>
<p>Make an effort to get to know your profs NOW. I don’t know the tier law schools you’re aiming for, but TALK IN CLASS.</p>
<p>1). Continue to meet with them during office hours, the more they see your face, the better. </p>
<p>2). Most law schools recommend having academic letters written, but having a recommendation letter from your internship is good. I would suggest using it. </p>
<p>3). Try getting involved with your undergraduate institution. It’ll help you in more ways than one. </p>
<p>4). Although your letters of rec are important, be sure to study hard for the LSAT, it’ll make you or break you.</p>
<p>you basically just need to ask a prof that has given you an A. ideally, they would be from classes where the professor knows who you are and recognizes you when you come to the office. try to make that happen this semester and you can ask the profs at the end.</p>
<p>most professors that give you a good grade will give you a “form letter” type LOR that will be filled with generic platitudes etc. this should be sufficient to be passable. </p>
<p>the only times LOR really come into play are if they are either REALLY good (“the best student I have ever met”) or BAD (“i think this student would not be a good law school candidate”). </p>
<p>make sure you ask the professor “would you be willing to write me a positive recommendation for admission to law school” or something to that effect and you should be fine.</p>
<p>I would suggest getting 2 academic recommendations. I’m almost positive cornell requires 2 and I’ll assume other schools follow that path. There may be more flexibility to that rule if you were a few years out of UG, but as you are still a student, get 2 academic LOR’s… I’m sure a recommendaion from a TA would fit that bill too.</p>
<p>word to the wise. Recommendations do get lost in the mail- so try to get commitments at the end of this semester. If they can write it during the summer, that would be the best. If not just make the request this semester and be at their office during the first week of classes in the fall.<br>
due to a LOR that went astray, it took my kid over 8 weeks for LSAC to get one recommendation. you might want to suggest to your prof to hold onto a copy of the recommendation until you get confirmation from LSAC that they received it. </p>
<p>no harm in getting 2 academic recommendations and one from your summer internship boss. More than 3 recommendations might be considered excessive.<br>
but study-study-study for the LSAT as that is the most important component of your application.</p>
<p>ALSO_ for anyone reading this who is thinking of working for a year or so and then applying to Law School; GET YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WHILE YOU ARE STILL ON CAMPUS. LSAC will hold onto these recommendations and will send them out at the time you are applying. You may have had a great relationship with a professor, but they may not remember you as well 2 years from now- or they may not be around. So get the recommendation NOW, even if you are not applying for another year or two down the road.</p>
<p>i’m re-reading your post. so are you a sophomore as you wont be applying until fall 2011? Just remember your upper level courses will be smaller and you may have more contact with the professor. so rule of thumb- line up recommendations by spring of junior year- so they will be available to LSAC by the fall of your senior year. You still have 1 1/2 years to develop relationships with particular professors.</p>
<p>to marny1: actually i’m currently a third year. fall 2010 will be my senior year and i’m accordingly planning on attending law school in fall of 2011. that’s why i’m kind of short on time, seeing as i have the rest of this quarter and spring quarter to get two recs. my upper div courses are slightly smaller, but still in excess of 100 people, however so far i’ve made myself known in one class through office hours and i’m likely to get an A in the class so hopefully i’ll have one rec down before my last chance (spring quarter). </p>
<p>thanks for all the responses. they were very helpful and i appreciate it!</p>
<p>brian- for most schools one professor and the Intern coordinator should be just fine. But be aware that there may be some exceptions and you will need the second academic LOR. I’d hate that the reason you’re not applying to a particular school that you “love” is because you don’t have the 2nd academic LOR. But with some luck and applying to schools that don’t require 2 academic LOR’s, it may not be an issue for you at all. I don’t think most schools require 2 academic LOR’s- but Cornell is an exception.
Good luck.</p>