3 years out of undergrad - who should I ask?

[Adamah]

Hey everyone. I'm planning to apply for a MS in Computer Science this Fall. I'm looking at Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, UIUC, and the Technion in Israel (aiming high, I know).

I think I have a pretty competitive application. My GRE is 800Q, 600V, 5.5AWA. My GPA is 3.95 from a large, upper 2nd-tier state university, and I'm a US citizen! I'm also a year into an RA job at the Federal Reserve in DC (finance, but still research), and have taken an upper-level grad class through Stanford's SCPD program as a non-degree student, which I did very well in. I have some work experience as a programmer in finance, but it isn't very relevant for my app.

My main concern is LoR's. I graduated in 2008, and I didn't keep in touch with any of my professors. They'd probably kind of recognize me if they saw me, but they wouldn't be able to say anything meaningful in their recommendations. I didn't do any research in undergrad either. That said, I was a TA for 3 semesters and participated in a program to teach gifted students in the sciences. I still go back once a year to give a Game Theory lecture for that program. The organizer of that program (a mathematics professor) knows me pretty well, but I get the impression schools want to hear about research when they read an LoR, not teaching ability.

I can get pretty strong LoR's from my current RA job (only economists, though), but I've heard that I should get at least 1 letter from a professor at my undergrad institution. Is that true even if I graduated 3 years ago? If so, I'm short on options.

Basically, my options are:

A) Get 3 LoR's from economists at the Fed. They'd all be pretty good. I've helped out a few economists on research projects, took initiative in them, and made meaningful contributions to them. That said, none of my contributions were significant enough to get my name on a paper. A couple of the economists are very well known in their sub-field and have published in top journals, though I don't know if a CS admissions committee would pick up on that.

Get 2 LoR's from the Fed, and awkwardly go back to my undergrad to find a professor to write a "did well in my class" letter.

C) Get 2 LoR's from the Fed, and get a pretty good letter from a math professor at my undergrad talking about my teaching experience.

D) A bit of a curve ball, get 2 LoR's from the Fed, and ask for a letter from the TA I took the Stanford SCPD program with. I never communicated with the professor, but I exchanged emails with the TA quite a bit and he can comment on the research I did for the (pretty significant) final project. That said, I never saw him face to face, as I'm on the east coast.

I'd really appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Edited June 22, 2011 by Adamah

[lyonessrampant]

I wouldn't recommend having a TA write an LOR for you. I would recommend 1 LOR from the fed, 1 from the mathematics prof whom you worked with, and 1 from an undergrad prof. Ask the one you think will remember you the most, and give him/her your CV for reference and also send any research projects or papers you did for that professor, ideally with their comments, to help remind him/her about you and give him/her specific things to mention in the LOR.

[cunninlynguist]

I wouldn't recommend having a TA write an LOR for you. I would recommend 1 LOR from the fed, 1 from the mathematics prof whom you worked with, and 1 from an undergrad prof. Ask the one you think will remember you the most, and give him/her your CV for reference and also send any research projects or papers you did for that professor, ideally with their comments, to help remind him/her about you and give him/her specific things to mention in the LOR.

Agreed. You'll want to avoid all 3 LORs being from the Fed given the lack of academic connection - and perhaps it could inadvertently signal to the admissions committee that you sought names and titles rather than people who can truly assess your potential as a graduate student. Do exactly what lyoness suggested when you contact your professor - make it easy and provide some reminders and prior work. They'll probably remember you in a meaningful way after that, and you'll get a valuable letter that's grounded in academics.

If you feel compelled, getting 2 LORs from the economists wouldn't be terrible, especially since you're contributing to research.

Given your excellent stats and experience out of undergrad, your LORs don't need to be completely traditional. Just make sure they complement the goals you convey. No excuses not to get a letter from a professor, though: that should be your #1 priority, and you're well-equipped to figure it out given that it's only June. Good luck!

[Adamah]

You both really think I should only get 1 LOR from the Fed? These are the only folks that can personally attest to any research I've done, even if they are economists. I was planning to get 1 LOR from my boss, who ranks pretty high up on the Fed hierarchy and who I get along with very well, and another letter from one of the economists who I've directly assisted with research. I don't know if it'd be wise to dump either of those selections in deference to an undergrad professor who barely knows me or a professor who I've never taken a class with and can only speak of my teaching ability.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Adamah

[cunninlynguist]

You both really think I should only get 1 LOR from the Fed? These are the only folks that can personally attest to any research I've done, even if they are economists. I was planning to get 1 LOR from my boss, who ranks pretty high up on the Fed hierarchy and who I get along with very well, and another letter from one of the economists who I've directly assisted with research. I don't know if it'd be wise to dump either of those selections in deference to an undergrad professor who barely knows me or a professor who I've never taken a class with and can only speak of my teaching ability.

Given those specifics, 2 LORs from the Fed may be a good idea. Your boss is notable, but also knows you personally, so that should quell any concerns about the esteemed letter writer who doesn't actually know the student.

You're the applicant, and obviously you have the clearest view of what your application should convey to the programs you're applying to. Do what you feel is best. Your experience with the Fed is clearly valuable (and recent, to speak of your current abilities) - use it to your advantage if you feel it'll give you 2 great LORs!

[lyonessrampant]

In that case, I'd go with two letters from the Fed and 1 from an undergrad prof. You're applying to an academic program, so you need at least one traditional LOR. Many programs actually specify a minimum for the number of letters that must come from profs. Check your programs to see what they say. As Cunninlynguist noted, though, it's your application, so ultimately, you're the one who knows best about what to expect in the letters. I'd still recommend contacting your programs of interest and seeing if they have minimums and/or recommendations for what you should do. Good luck!