<p>I am currently a freshman at a prestigious public university in California. I am applying to transfer for Fall 2009 because I cannot stand being at such a big school.
The thing that I am REALLY worried about is getting rec letters. Last semester I was in two 400 person classes and two 800 person classes. The thing about these classes was that they were not really in areas of academic interest to me. Also, even though I went into office hours for some of my classes throughout the semester I really don't feel like I got to know any of my professors well enough to ask them for a recommendation letter and I don't feel like they know me well enough to write a good letter. I did have one GSI (TA) who I liked and I feel like she got to know my academic interests a little bit.
I have two questions. Should I email this GSI and ask for a rec letter even though I won't have her next semester? Second question relates to the fact that most of the transfer applications are do around March 1. Next semester I am taking more classes that interest me (i.e. Sociology, French, and a small seminar on psychology which I feel would be a prime opportunity to get to know the professor). I know that I will need to go into office hours right off the bat to have these professors get to know me if I want to ask them for rec letters. What I am worried about is isn't the protocol for asking for rec letter to ask a month ahead of the deadline. I feel that if I ask by Feb. 1 these professors will not have had adequate time to get to know me.
If you have any advice related to this topic or can direct me to any previous threads on this top I would really appreciate it.
Thanks!</p>
<p>I am curious about this too (bump)</p>
<p>you can just get a recommendation letter from high school teacher or other people. It doesn't need to be from only professors at college.</p>
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you can just get a recommendation letter from high school teacher or other people. It doesn't need to be from only professors at college.
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<p>Incorrect, transfer students need to get LORs from college instructors. </p>
<p>OP,
I'd advise that you get a LOR from your GSI since she knows you well, it doesn't matter at all that you won't have her next semester. For the other LOR, it would be best if you can get someone that you had first semester since your second semester instructors won't have had you in class for very long and may not feel comfortable with writing you a letter.</p>
<p>Don't worry too much about the LORs not being extremely strong. AOs know that freshmen are often in large classes and that as a soph transfer you will only have attended college for one semester when applying.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses!
I asked my GSI and she agreed to do it. When I see her to give her the form should I give her a stamped envelope for each college? Or do the rec letters and the deans report get sent all in one envelope?
I am still concerned about getting my second rec letter. If I do decide to ask a second semester teacher how much before would I have to ask them in order to meet a March 1 deadline?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, give her a stamped and addressed envelope, usually the LORs are sent separately from the College report.</p>
<p>That's the problem with 2nd semester LORs, it's nice to give people about a month in case they have a lot of other things going on (like teaching). But that would only give you a month in class, so you might chance asking them 2-3 weeks before the deadline and hope that they have the time.</p>
<p>yeah when they refer to a dean who are they referring to exactly? Like the dean of admissions? I'm pretty confused on this one.. how would I know a dean of admissions or someone else like that?</p>
<p>No, not the Dean of Admissions, but the Dean of your college (eg. Engineering, LS&A, etc.). However, I think the college form is most often not filled out by the dean, but rather by an academic advisor of some sort who actually knows you. For my D, it was the Honors advisor.</p>
<p>I have a couple more questions about this.
I am preparing envelopes and the Common App Instructor Evaluation forms to give to my GSI who is writing one of my letters.
First, what should I put for a return address? Is it okay that I am giving her the envelopes to put them in because I don't think she has "official letterheads"?<br>
Second, would it be okay to give my GSI a small gift certificate to a coffee shop nearby to thank her for helping me with this? Is that considered proper protocol?
Thanks!</p>
<p>sorry I have one more question.
Should I put my permanent home address on the Common App forms or should I put the address that I am living at at school?</p>
<p>My D always used her permanent home address.</p>