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letters of recommendation from university faculty/instructors

G

gopunk

Lifer
how many letters of recommendation is acceptable to ask for? i mean, i imagine if you gave them 4 or something, they might get annoyed at you...
 
Darby, why don't you just ask? Say "well, I realize that time is limited, and I'm applying to different schools so can you tell me how many applications/letters you can do?" Remember, they are doing this for you, and go out of your way to help them write the letters, fill out the apps, and generally make them think you are doing them a favor or at least not just throwing stuff in their faces. A smile can go a long way.

And so can asking. Every person is different.

Cheers ! 🙂
 
most schools take a general application. if you make copies of that im sure thwy would not mind, theyd think the instuctor was the one that decided to use it not you.
 
Is this for grad school? a scholarship? a job? How competitive is what you are applying for? Are you awesome?

My answer will depend...
 


<< Is this for grad school? a scholarship? a job? How competitive is what you are applying for? Are you awesome?

My answer will depend... >>



transfer to a different school... the transfer admission rates vary from 10% to 80%... but some state schools give heavy preference to in-state students so that skews some numbers upwards.

i think i'm pretty awesome 😉

uh academics are basically, i had a few really bad quarters, a few good quarters, but for the past year i've been kicking ass in all my classes. top of the class, all that jazz... i participate in class a bunch, i'm on decent terms with the instructors. decent meaning i don't have drinks with them after class, but we're friendly when i talk to them in class, after class, or in office hours.

the thing that sucks is that my classes are taught by grad students, which doesn't look as good as if i got letters from professors 🙁
 
I write these letters all the time. If your prof likes you, then they will be happy to. You are right about not getting ONLY grad students to write -- try and get your advisor or dept. chair, or even someone from another dept. When you ask for the rec, be sure to give them a short resume and a cover sheet reminding them of exactly when you took their class, which class(es), and how you did. Also mention any major projects you worked on. This will help them remember you as a strong candidate, and even if they know you , it is appreciated.

Are all your classes really taught by grad students? What type of grad students/classes?
 
resume and cover sheet eh? hmm... that's new to me, but i'll give it some thought...

yea about 75% of my classes are taught by grad students... just normal classes like econ and stuff. i guess the higher level courses will get taught by profs more. sometimes i have classes taught by profs, but then the class is like 300 students large. and we have quiz sections for those classes, which is smaller classes with grad students.
 
So the school you are trying to get into doesn't care if you send them? Grad programs often require you to give an envelope to the prof, who then writes the letter and sends it in with out you ever looking at them.

I would think you would want 3-4 letters.



 


<< resume and cover sheet eh? hmm... that's new to me, but i'll give it some thought...

yea about 75% of my classes are taught by grad students... just normal classes like econ and stuff. i guess the higher level courses will get taught by profs more. sometimes i have classes taught by profs, but then the class is like 300 students large. and we have quiz sections for those classes, which is smaller classes with grad students. >>



It's just a courtesy -- it's not really a cover sheet in a formal sense, but just a refresher for us. That way we can be confident saying:


Dear Members of the Selection Committee:

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Darby the Magnificent to attend the Master?s program in Supermolecular Brain Quantum Consolidation at MIT. I have been Darby's instructor in two courses, Honors Scratching (Spring 1999), and Discrete Math Torture (Fall 1999). Darby is the most magnificent student of all time, receiving the grade of ?A++++++++++++++++++++++? in both courses. In my 12 years teaching seniors at this university he is far and away the most talented and promising stuent I have encountered.

Darby's project on how to attract female humans with discreet pheremonal impulses was groundbreaking, and was noted by Science Magazine as the most exciting scientific discovery of the century. Since the Fall of 1998, I have also worked with Darby in my role as Media Lab Network Managert, and I have observed his growing knowledge of video and multimedia systems, including how to wire them directly into the brain.

Blah blah blah, superior, magnificent, godly...

In light of his intelligence, self-motivation, and excellent verbal and written communication skills, I feel confident that Darby will one day rule the world and bring great honor to your program, thereby smiting your enemies.



 
In light of his intelligence, self-motivation, and excellent verbal and written communication skills, I feel confident that Darby will one day rule the world and bring great honor to your program, thereby smiting your enemies.

LOL 😀

now that you mention it, research would be kind of cool... i want to work on automated transportation 🙂
 
I asked my professors for 5 letters for graduate schools and another letter for a fellowship program. Generally professors want their good students to do well and get into good graduate programs because ultimately it makes them and the school look good. Your mileage may vary because you are applying for transfer.

I included in a folder prepared for each professor, envelopes, a polite letter with instructions and a reminder of the schedule, a copy of my resume, a copy of my course transcript, a short (half page) statement of purpose saying why I wanted to go to grad school plus a healthy reminder of my superior qualifications 😉. I knew two professors very well (two classes plus independent projects) and the third only marginally (one class).

Instead of a letter saying why you want to go to grad school I guess you can describe why you want to transfer.

Hope this helps, if in doubt, bribery is always recommended.
 
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