Question about letters of reference

[titanattack]

I had done a 4th year thesis project with a prof, and I need a second ref for graduate school. I asked my co-supervisor for thesis for reference even though he does not know me well and have only read/graded my work, know my grades/CV and heard me present once at a conference, but he said yes when I asked him for a reference. Do you think he could write me a favourable reference for me even if he did not supervise me directly and does not know me very well? Do most professors generally write favouable references if they promise to write one? My second option is a post doc, but I think that would hurt my app. Thanks. 

[Jay's Brain]

Are there any professors whose courses you have been in that can write you a better letter? If you do, those would be a good way to go too. If not, and you're limited to those options, you will probably have to make-do with your co-supervisor. Most professors will not say they will write a reference if they cannot provide good feedback. Unfortunately, you won't know for sure.

One suggestion I do have for the postdoc is to have them write the letter of reference WITH the PI who they are working with. You may have worked more closely with the postdoc, but it's the name of his or her supervisor that may lend credence. If the PI knows you too, you can have both of them write the letter together and have the PI sign off on it.

 

[titanattack]

Are there any professors whose courses you have been in that can write you a better letter? If you do, those would be a good way to go too. If not, and you're limited to those options, you will probably have to make-do with your co-supervisor. Most professors will not say they will write a reference if they cannot provide good feedback. Unfortunately, you won't know for sure.

One suggestion I do have for the postdoc is to have them write the letter of reference WITH the PI who they are working with. You may have worked more closely with the postdoc, but it's the name of his or her supervisor that may lend credence. If the PI knows you too, you can have both of them write the letter together and have the PI sign off on it.

 

I did however, ask him if he could write a "good" reference for me and he said he needs to know something unique about me for the reference to be effective and then he asked me to send him documents, but he did not say no when i specifically asked him that... 

[Jay's Brain]

Well that seems like a fair start. He's asking, because he wants to know a bit more about you. Perhaps in your conversations with him you can tease out what the expectations for your graduate programs are, and how you've shown that you have the apt and capabilities to meet those expectations. It will give him more information to work on and write about!