<p>I'm in my first year of an engineering major which means that all of my classes except one is 100+ kids, so i havent really had the opportunity to get personal with professors...however, i can get my advisor to write me a recommendation (he also teaches my 100+ engineering lecture and is active in a smaller workshop), but im wondering if i could also get my TA from that workshop to write me a recommendation, since he's had 14 weeks of close working with me.<br>
or
I could get my advisor to write a rec, then wait till next semester and hopefully get a professor that has known me for a mere 6 weeks (by the time recs are due march 1), and HOPE that i can get one...although it might even be another TA that writes it</p>
<p>so, get my experienced TA rec now, or should i wait and hope?</p>
<p>The TA and the advisor are from the same class? If so, I don't think that's a good plan. If they are a different class, I think the TA rec would work <em>if</em> he collaborates with the prof from that class. This is a fairly common scenario - the rec is officially from the prof, but if he hasn't worked closely with you due to large class size, the TA helps him flesh out a rec with more intimate knowledge of you and your work.</p>
<p>A rec just from a TA is not a good plan, I don't think. Unless others here can attest that it worked for them.</p>
<p>If you end up going the "wait and hope" route, do some things to go beyond hope. Visit your profs office hours, speak up in class if that is possible, etc....</p>
<p>The recs can come in a tad later than the March 1 app deadline - your own app materials need to meet that date, but the recs/transcripts/... can trickle in a bit later.</p>
<p>no, they're from the same class...its so close to the end of the semester too that i just think hope is lost for my current professors...i'll get another engineering prof. and classes that relate more to my major (EE, declaring in april), and since i do have until march 1 to put their email atleast, ill just jump the gun early and meet with professors early on next semester...im sure if push comes to shove i can ask my current calc teacher, because im asking for a rec from her anyways to work for the math dept.</p>