<p>I’m still not so sure the original question was answered. A professor who hardly knows you can write a glowing recommendation simply by being good with words. I mean, is the point of a recommendation really to itemize all the research you’ve done with that professor? And if you didn’t have a relationship with that professor beyond taking their courses, then what else can a prof do besides, “He/she is an outstanding student, makes brilliant insight, blah blah blah…”</p>