Applying this fall with no LOR potentials

[coralynly]

Hi all,

So I'm applying this fall (at least, that is the plan) and everything is running smoothly, except... I have no potential professor-recommenders. Naturally, I am freakin' out sort of a bit, kind of a lot. I transferred from a community college so my contact with professors at my current school has been limited, especially since I was busy getting adjusted the first few quarters.

But enough with the excuses right? Right!!! Be aggressive!

I don't know what to do. I assume there's not much I CAN do since I've run out of time to get to know the professors here. I have considered postponing my app, but it would really suck if these letters (or lack thereof) were keeping me from applying this year. I can ask my employer, which I don't mind at all, but that still leaves me with two I need. I was contemplating over whether or not I should contact a community college professor that had once written a rec for me, but it's been a while so... I highly don't doubt I'm off his radar, though I don't mind doing a little rekindling "haaaaay professor." Anyway. I also heard that CC professors' recs are generally a no-no, but if I have no other choice I'd settle. Or maybe not.

What do you guys think? I just need a bit-o reassurance. Or rebukism. Whichever.

Merci beaucoup

[Mal83]

I can help you with this because I have just been through the very same situation. I mean, exactly. I applied for Fall 2011 and I'm going to my dream school. So....here goes my experience with LORs. I ended up getting an Associates in my field at a CC, so that means half of my 4 years was spent there. I then transferred to a 4 year institution and finished up my BA in the same field. It's not a large school so over the course of 2 years I had only a handful of professors, 2 of them I disliked a great deal. At the time graduate school wasn't really on my radar screen so I was just looking to finish up, but not necessarily in a blaze of glory. I too showed an upward trend in my GPA, it was an adjustment after CC, I went to a good one and ended up with a near perfect GPA (not saying that to brag, it was a CC), hence transferring into a fine school. But boy I got hit hard by the toughness that was this college. Anyway, I had to work a lot harder than before to maintain a decent GPA. While there I didn't necessarily cultivate relationships with professors, I was a decent student who kind of stayed under the radar. So fast forward from graduating in 2007 to this time 2010 when I decided to pursue grad school. I needed recs...but from whom? Well, one was a no-brainer, my Peace Corps supervisor. Now I needed 2 more for my dream school, they had to be from professors because I didn't have any more experience related to my field of International Affairs/development. But I spent over 2 years in the PC and didn't really make a splash with my undergrad professors. The one I had in mind, the one with whom I took 3 major classes with and wrote me a letter for the PC, actually said no, she didn't have time. By the time I got to her she was partially retired and committed to doing only a few. I was crushed...now what? The other professor, with whom I took my senior seminar thankfully said yes. I did very well in the class and I told him about my PC experience. Ok, so that was 2. I was literally out of options at my undergrad institution. The other professors I had, were all adjuncts who I didn't like or couldn't remember their names. I drudged one out of my memory and sent him an email, but he never responded. So that led me to my one and only other option....professors from the old community college.

I graduated from there in 2003 and we're talking about the 2011 application cycle. Yes, I was freaking out. The one I had in mind was one of the best teachers I've ever had, he didn't know it at the time but he helped steer me in the direction that I'm going in now. I took 3 classes with him and got A's in every one. I too was worried about how the CC prof letter would look, but I literally had no choice. I was applying to a few other program that only required 2 letters, so I was set with those at least. I had to give it my best shot. So thank god he was still teaching at the school and I sent him an email. He's a ph.D. and is head of the department so I figured that held a little weight. I basically said, "hey, you probably don't remember me, but I did very well in a few of your classes and was hoping that you'd right a letter for me." Of course I told him what classes they were and what I had done since. I was terrified that he either just wouldn't respond or be like "sorry, I have no clue who you are." But no! He was great, he said he'd be happy to do it. He told me that his only concern was that the admissions committee might wonder why I had a letter from someone from so long ago, but if that wasn't an issue for me, he'd gladly do it. I felt like if he was concerned his letter wouldn't hold any weight at all he would have said as much, he's a real straight shooter. It was also nice getting back in touch with him. I did tell him, just to keep things real and honest, that one of my reasons for contacting him was that the other prof I had in mind said she didn't have time, because while he didn't ask specifically why him, I'm sure he was wondering. He said, don't worry about it. I had my 3 letters for my dream school. Now, I was waitlisted, however, I was ultimately admitted. I really don't think the letter from a CC professor was the reason, my GRE score could have been a little higher, my GPA also could have been a little higher...so I feel like those 2 factors got me waitlisted. But the moral of the story is that I wasn't rejected, and I was high enough on the list to get a spot at a top rated IR school...even with a letter from the community college professor.

You really just have to reach out to these people, don't assume that they remember you well enough, give them details, names of the courses, significant projects, your grades, were you an active participant or on the quiet side? And be sure to include what you've done since then. A politely crafted email with an ever so slight hint of "you'd be my hero if you do this" can work wonders and they'll probably want to know more about you in order to get a good sense of how to build the letter. My first email to him the subject was "Update from a former student." I'm sure that was nicer impression than "I'm desperate for a recommendation." Not that CC professors don't have enough to do, but is it really very often that they write rec letters for graduate school applicants? They might appreciate that you're turning to them for that. I'm not saying that they'll feel privileged by any means, but it could be a welcomed change of pace. And hell, I had to 2 profs at my CC that I thought were light years beyond the lousy adjuncts I had at my 4-year school. Just try to get a hold of the professors with whom you did the best and let it out that you need a letter. And if you keep one thing in mind let it be that the earlier you do it, the better.

Edited July 8, 2011 by Mal83

[coralynly]

I needed that. You are seriously the best.

On a sidenote, my major (double, really, but same same) is also IDS. Go us.

I'm afraid of rejection. I know I should get over it, but if a professor says 'no' to my request I'll be disheartened, especially since I have such few potentials on my list. And I think I will contact my CC prof. if it comes down to it, seeing that you've had an ultimately positive experience. No shame!

But, seriously, thank you!

[Fell4Ever]

I don't know how the atmosphere at your current school is, but I go to a very small school in the middle of Tokyo which gives me a very interesting tactic for getting to know professors. One thing I am considering doing (since I only have 2/3 LoR) is going up to a Prof whose class I did well in and laying it all down. "I'm applying for Grad School - I was busy dealing with transferring that it never appeared to me how difficult the application process is - I really enjoyed your class [insert some story about how he made you think of stuff] - look, I know its a bit late in the game and we don't have that large of a relationship outside of class, but please let me take you out for sushi or a Coffee so we can sit down and talk not only about my LoR, but just your experience in the academic field. It would really help me out and - hey - you get free food!"

Of course, that is kind of an emergency tactic. But hey... it could work. 6_^. I wish you well.

I needed that. You are seriously the best.

On a sidenote, my major (double, really, but same same) is also IDS. Go us.

I'm afraid of rejection. I know I should get over it, but if a professor says 'no' to my request I'll be disheartened, especially since I have such few potentials on my list. And I think I will contact my CC prof. if it comes down to it, seeing that you've had an ultimately positive experience. No shame!

But, seriously, thank you!

[studentaffairsgrad]

In my experience, professors experience this kind of thing all the time, and will try to be accommodating, even if they don't remember you. Just be sure that if they agree to it, you give them sufficient time and some supplemental materials (your statement of purpose, transcript, info about the program you are applying to etc.) so that the letter comes of as if they know you well. After all, they've been through the process themselves, and somebody had to write them LORs too

[emmm]

I will be starting a PhD program in September. I graduated from undergrad over 20 years ago, so I did not even consider trying to get letters from my old profs there. I have been taking CC classes for the past 2 years -- it started out as something I wanted to do for fun, but it ended up motivating me to apply to grad school. My LORs were from 2 of my CC profs and a university prof I worked for over the summer. I had also heard letters from CC profs did not carry much weight, but I did not see that I had other options, and I had some fabulous profs at the CC. I was able to get to know my profs, given the smaller size of CC classes, and I felt confident that they'd do a good job on the LORs. However, they were even more supportive than I expected, and I will be forever grateful to them for writing letters on my behalf.

[Mal83]

I needed that. You are seriously the best.

On a sidenote, my major (double, really, but same same) is also IDS. Go us.

I'm afraid of rejection. I know I should get over it, but if a professor says 'no' to my request I'll be disheartened, especially since I have such few potentials on my list. And I think I will contact my CC prof. if it comes down to it, seeing that you've had an ultimately positive experience. No shame!

But, seriously, thank you!

You're welcome, this is why I purge my story in threads like these, so that others see that grad school is well within reach despite having to go down a slightly uncomfortable path to get there. Not everyone goes on to grad school right after undergrad, not everyone stays at one undergrad institution for all 4 years, and not everyone can get all of their recommendations from tenured professors from the same school. We have to dig, plot, scheme, and calculate...and that's all OK because we're serious about grad school and the awkward uncomfortableness is all worth it in the end. I was very afraid of rejection too, that's normal I think, after the one said actually said no I was beside myself, I really didn't think that was going to happen. Then like I said, I was terrified about my CC prof just being like..."seriously?" then promptly deleting my email. There is absolutely no shame, a BA is a BA whether you spent half of it a community college or not. And for those of us who did that we don't have as many options at the 4 year school...just the way it is, but that doesn't have to be a hindrance of any kind.

If they do say no though, it's not because they don't like you or don't want to help you, they either really don't have the time or feel that they won't be able to do you justice if they just don't remember you well enough. Oh it definitely sucks to get a no...but you put that aside and move on to the next. But like I said, if they do want to help, they'll ask for information like a resume, your goals for grad school, maybe a draft of an SOP, something for them to build on. The prof from my 4 year school who did one of my letters agreed to do so many of them that he was barely getting them done by the deadlines...he got mine in 7 hours before the deadline at one of my schools. They will typically do them in the order in which the request was received, I didn't ask him until October I think...do not wait that long. I just didn't know any better, I wish I would have come across grad cafe way before that. I'd go with August/early September if I had it to do over again. I'm sure it won't be as hard as you think though, it makes a huge difference that you're still at the school and go talk to these people in person, plus they will most likely have a decent recollection of not just you but your work. I live in Arizona now and went to school in NJ years ago....I think you'll be fine.

IDS too huh? What schools are you looking at?

[coralynly]

And here I was thinking that the world revolves around me. Really needed to read all of this. Thanks guys!

@studentaffairs Sometimes I forget that professors are human; sometimes I think they are donkeys. Hehehoho

@Mal Well, your story-purging method is working quite well! I'm actually applying to women's studies programs. I was debating for a while and ultimately decided to perish in this field, though I've got to admit reading your story makes me want to reconsider. Your posts should come with a trigger warning...

[Mal83]

And here I was thinking that the world revolves around me. Really needed to read all of this. Thanks guys!

@studentaffairs Sometimes I forget that professors are human; sometimes I think they are donkeys. Hehehoho

@Mal Well, your story-purging method is working quite well! I'm actually applying to women's studies programs. I was debating for a while and ultimately decided to perish in this field, though I've got to admit reading your story makes me want to reconsider. Your posts should come with a trigger warning...

Ha! I can be a little long winded so I'm glad that approach actually does someone some good...I really just enjoy relaying it because it was such a tough long process but so worth it, it's one of those things that you can appreciate but just never want to do ever again, but yet you're willing to help others get through it because you want them to be more prepared than you were at the time. That's how I feel about it anyway and I got so much advice and support here while I was going through it, gotta pay it back. And yes, I am passionate about my field, it's the only thing I want to do because it's kind of an umbrella field that has so many different interesting options under it and a program like IDS allows me to explore some of them while getting a degree that will actually qualify me to do a job and be in the one city I really want to be in. You can actually choose gender/women's studies as a concentration in IDS...at least at the schools I looked into. Gender and women's issues definitely come into play in IDS. But anyway, sounds like you're getting ready to just start making some moves and that's great!

[coralynly]

Yep, I know, hence the tough decision. But I think studying gender with a concentration in developing countries (if I study this at all) is better for me than vice versa. IDS is something I really, really enjoy studying while WS/feminism is something I identify with and just love. Damn I feel like a cheesball.

Anyway, thanks again! I get anxious and excited whenever I think about grad school, which is why this site is so bittersweet.

[Mal83]

Yep, I know, hence the tough decision. But I think studying gender with a concentration in developing countries (if I study this at all) is better for me than vice versa. IDS is something I really, really enjoy studying while WS/feminism is something I identify with and just love. Damn I feel like a cheesball.

Anyway, thanks again! I get anxious and excited whenever I think about grad school, which is why this site is so bittersweet.

Most of us feel the same about our fields, as a cheeseball you're in good company. That's how you know you've made the right choice, when you can say you love what you're doing...no need to think about it further. Take it and run with it, it's a gift to find out what you love to do...a lot of people never figure it out. You're welcome again, don't hesitate to ask anything else.