Letter from a prof with whom you're currently taking your first class

[gellert]

So, a lot of the POIs I'm applying to have a very strong philosophical background and their work (as well as my research interests) is heavily framed in the philosophy of science and moral reasoning.

I'm currently taking a directed readings course in philosophy with a professor, studying the main philosophers of science and their critics (a bit more specific than that, actually, but that's neither here nor there).This is the first time I've ever had this prof, but we're getting along really well and obviously he spends two hours a week with me every week and reads a 4-8 page essay by me every week so he has a decent grasp by now of my philosophical reasoning skills and ability to work independently.

I'd like to use him as one of my letter writers for the schools that are more philosophically-focused (I already have a set of three for the other schools), but I'm not sure how it would come across, asking him to write me a letter when he's currently teaching me the first class we've ever had together. It's not like he can cite some long history he has of teaching or supervising me. However, I feel like a letter from someone who can speak of my experience with philosophy will be well-received by some of my POIs as opposed to a letter by an assistant prof who taught me several years ago in a psychology class. (Philosophy prof is actually chair of the philosophy department and a well-known philosopher of science in his own right. My other two writers are both tenured Big Name Professors in psychology.)

Thoughts? Would it be weird if I were to ask my philosophy directed readings professor to write me an LOR for 4-5 of my schools midway through our first semester together?

Thanks!

[emmm]

You should meet with him to discuss if he feels he can write a strong LOR for you. If he is enthusiastic about doing the letter for you, you should be fine. He can discuss how impressed he is by you, despite only knowing you for a short time.

[TypeA]

I really think this is something that would vary from class to class, and professor to professor. You really should (IMHO) approach your professor in person about why you’re requesting a letter from him, despite the short period of time he’s known you. I think you provided perfectly sound reasons here, so explain those reasons to him and see what he says.

For what it’s worth, here’s my mid-semester recommendation anecdote: I had this one professor in environmental policy as a senior. When I went to office hours to discuss grad school and the potential for a future recommendation (I knew I was taking at least one year off before grad), there were two or three classmates (who’d never had him before) who were also there to ask for letters. I’m friends with one of those people, and he’s now attending one of the top environmental policy programs.