I have not hit it off with any of my professors (except 1) because of my disconnect from my current school. I dread going to my school everyday… And the one I COULD ask… I don’t know… I feel uncomfortable asking her because I worked for her (in a position she offered to me because she fell in love with me in the class I took of her’s) and I know she is a BUSY person. Like… REALLY busy. I could never ask her.
I feel like it is so ridiculous that I am basing the schools I can apply to based upon if they require LORs… but I have no choice. I want to be authentic in my applications, and I am not going to ask a professor whom barely knows me to write something for me.
My top school choice is USC, and they just happen to not require letters of rec. I lucked out there. But if anyone else could help me out with this, I’d appreciate it. (Top ~100 or so private universities).
Fordham University, University of Illinois, University of Virginia
If I were you, I’d try to my best to get a recommendation. You’re really limiting yourself here. Perhaps you can get one from a workplace?
Get your nerve up and ask for the one. I was reluctant to ask a prof when I was in college, but he was happy to do it once I asked. Worst possibility is that she says no. Best is that it opens up options for you. If you need a 2nd, pick a prof that gave you an A.
Often the professor will ask you for a draft – or you can type up a “brag sheet” for him or her, that would help with writing the letter. Just make the experience as easy as possible for the professor – provide everything for him or her including a bullet-point list or a draft of language that they could include.
“Brag sheet” is a term that’s used in high schools, many of them, for parents and students to write down their accomplishments and anecdotes that they can give to their teachers or guidance counselors, for the purposes of writing the LORs. It’s a standard practice. The letter writer then can use or not use the language as he or she chooses, but they aren’t sitting their wracking their brains about what the student did for them. They’re human and they won’t remember you as well as you remember you.