Finding LOR writers?

[slpslidingaway]

Hi! So I'm not applying until next year, but I've been poking around and am currently supremely stressed about getting my LORs. I've been doing really well in my post-bacc classes, but at this point I don't feel like my professors really know me well enough to write me a LOR. Most of my instructors don't even seem to know my name and one professor even forgot to assign me my final grade- I had to email him before I got it. I participate in class, ask questions, go in for office hours, etc. and it's been really frustrating/disheartening to feel so invisible. I'm really pushing this semester to be more well-known and chatting with my profs more, but short of being all Walter White as Heisenberg and "remember my name", I'm unsure about what else I can do. I guess I just blend in really well. When it comes to asking for LOR, is it acceptable to contact a professor who might not know me that well if I got an A in their class? 

[caterpillar]

When it comes to asking for LOR, is it acceptable to contact a professor who might not know me that well if I got an A in their class? 

 

Yes! 

 

Are you at PSU for your post-bacc? My husband completed his there and he also didn't feel like he knew very many of his professors very well, what with the class sizes being as large as they are. He was able to get a LOR from one professor that he had taken two classes from, and one from a professor he had only taken one class from (one of the audiology classes, as it turned out). He received As in all of his classes there, but to help assist in the writing of the LOR, he also included his resume and his rough draft SOP. This gave them an idea of where he was coming from professionally, as well as an idea of where he wanted to go after grad school and what his goals were.

[slpslidingaway]

Yup, I am at PSU! I'm getting the 2nd Bachelors and hope to finish up by next year- in addition to the prereqs, I also have to take stats and two science courses since my undergrad science classes don't count. I remember you saying that one of the writers from PSU wasn't the best- any tips on avoiding that? 

 

Thanks for replying! 

Edited April 7, 2014 by PorqueMoi

[goingtobeslp13]

In my experience and from what I've been told from grad schools, one of the most important things is to select LOR writers who know you really well. Since I did my post-bac online and didn't feel like my professors knew me well enough to really write a personal LOR, I actually didn't ask any SLP professors to write a recommendation. I got all 3 of my letters from my undergrad, meaning that they were either psychology or education professors. They knew me really well, and could speak to my performance in the classroom as well as out of it (the education professors both supervised me either during student teaching or literacy tutoring) and could really advocate for me. I would recommend going that route if you don't feel like you've made a really personal connection with your post-bac professors.

[jesstrom]

Hi! So I'm not applying until next year, but I've been poking around and am currently supremely stressed about getting my LORs. I've been doing really well in my post-bacc classes, but at this point I don't feel like my professors really know me well enough to write me a LOR. Most of my instructors don't even seem to know my name and one professor even forgot to assign me my final grade- I had to email him before I got it. I participate in class, ask questions, go in for office hours, etc. and it's been really frustrating/disheartening to feel so invisible. I'm really pushing this semester to be more well-known and chatting with my profs more, but short of being all Walter White as Heisenberg and "remember my name", I'm unsure about what else I can do. I guess I just blend in really well. When it comes to asking for LOR, is it acceptable to contact a professor who might not know me that well if I got an A in their class? 

 

Hello!

 

I come from Rutgers University, a large state college, so I understand what it's like to do well in a class, visit professors at office hours, yet still feel like your professors don't know you too well. But, you need to remember something: as long as you are doing this, you are actually getting to know your professor more than most of your other peers in your class! If you were asking a professor you did not interact with outside of class, merely just got A's in their classes, then I would tell you to think twice about asking. But, this does not seem to be the case for you. One of my letter writers fell into this category: I aced two of her classes, went to office hours, and interacted often in the smaller of the two classes she taught. Though she may not know me like my best friends, she still knows me better than she does other students, and this is what makes a LOR shine.

 

I would like to make a suggestion. A great way to get great LORs is to join a research lab. During my undergraduate career, I have been a part of two research labs. A research lab gives you the opportunity to work closely with a few others peers, but more importantly, one-on-one with a faculty member. It is a great way to get close to a faculty member while building up your resume at the same time.

[slpslidingaway]

@jesstrom, It's so tough in a big university, isn't it? I came from a small undergrad institution, so I'm used to my profs knowing me really well. It was just so disheartening to have a prof for two quarters, gone in for office hours, participated in class, etc. and then come the final, he didn't even know my name. This is also the one that forgot to give me a final grade. 

 

I just joined a research lab this quarter, so hopefully that'll help give me a boost. Thanks for the advice!  

[caterpillar]

Yup, I am at PSU! I'm getting the 2nd Bachelors and hope to finish up by next year- in addition to the prereqs, I also have to take stats and two science courses since my undergrad science classes don't count. I remember you saying that one of the writers from PSU wasn't the best- any tips on avoiding that? 

 

Thanks for replying! 

 

Thinking back on the experience, the only warning sign we had was that the professor sent him a form to fill out asking for basic information about him, and was very brief in his emails with my husband. He didn't seem very interested in the process. In contrast, the other two LOR writers (who are the ones I referenced above) exchanged several emails with my husband, asking about his experience, his classes, what he was doing professionally currently, etc. 

 

The LOR writer who gave him the (we presume) lukewarm review has since moved on to Pacific University, so you at least don't have to worry about him being in your pool of potential writers from PSU.

[jesstrom]

@jesstrom, It's so tough in a big university, isn't it? I came from a small undergrad institution, so I'm used to my profs knowing me really well. It was just so disheartening to have a prof for two quarters, gone in for office hours, participated in class, etc. and then come the final, he didn't even know my name. This is also the one that forgot to give me a final grade. 

 

I just joined a research lab this quarter, so hopefully that'll help give me a boost. Thanks for the advice!

 

I could definitely understand how that would be disheartening! But, it really just sounds like that may have more to do with the professor not being as attentive as others as opposed to you not being a memorable student; that's what the evidence seems to point to!

 

Joining your research lab will probably be one of the most influential and important things you could have done! Good for you! You are well on your way to having everything you need for a stellar, well-rounded application

[slpslidingaway]

@caterpillar, thank you! That really helps to ease my mind that a)it's totally ok to ask professors I'm not buddy-buddy with and that the writer isn't at PSU anymore. Good luck to you and your husband during this crazy application process- an assistantship is a pretty awesome accomplishment. 

 

@jesstrom, haha your reply loaded just as I was typing this out. I know logically it has more to do with the professor than it does me, so thanks for reassuring me that sometimes these things just happen. I'm really excited about the research lab opportunity; it's really interesting. Congrats on your acceptances to grad school! 

[jesstrom]

 Congrats on your acceptances to grad school! 

 

Thank you so much! Good luck to you!

[Papaya91]

As many others have said, I think it's important to get letters from the professors who can speak to your abilities, and who know you well, rather than professors whose classes you simply did well in.

 

I asked my favorite professors for letters of rec, and I had done very well in nearly all of my classes. However, for two of the teachers I chose, I had received at least one B+ in one of their classes (which isn't that bad, I know, but in CSD world it feels like it). I could have chosen other professors who only gave me A's, but I didn't. I chose the professors who knew me the best, who knew my interests and abilities, and with whom I had the best rapport.

It sounds like you're doing everything right. My only advice for you would be to ask early (like NOW), and to give them a small packet of relevant information about yourself when they go to write your LOR. A copy of your transcript (or CSD grades at least), a copy of your resume, something about your interests and extracurriculars, and a rough draft of your SOP (statement of purpose/letter of intent). A professional-looking picture (read: no solo cup or cutesy selfies) of yourself doesn't hurt, either. If it's a professor who doesn't know you that well outside of the classroom, it will give them a better idea of who you are. If it's a professor who does know you well, they'll appreciate the effort you made to make their job as easy as possible, and they might learn something new about you as well. Best of luck!

[Missthang]

Definitely start NOW! Make it extremly easy on your LOR writers. They shouldn't have to do any work of asking you for things. I asked around this time last year in an email if I could setup an appointment to meet and discuss grad programs I was looking at applying to and also if they were willing to write me a letter. I did 3 COMD professors all with different areas of focus. They all knew I attended class and participated regularly, I had an A or A-, and they each had very different personalities (one is VERY blunt so I was a little unsure about hers but I believe she actually wrote me the best one because the readers see that she's honest about my abilities and wasn't just trying to say nice things to "fluff" my letter).

 

When I went, I had a packet with the schools I was looking at, their requirements (if it was a form I already had it printed, if it was written then I had the directions of who to address it to, had envelope and stamp ready and any other specific instructions about seals/signatures, etc...). I also included an unofficial transcript and hilighted COMD courses and of course their class so they could remember the grade I got and when I took it if it wasn't that semester or the previous one. I also threw in my resume, a document of all of my volunteer work since high school and a summary of what I was planning on writing for my personal statement so they could learn about me outside of school, my interests, and why I was interested in continuing on to grad school.

I had a few friends who actually laughed at me for starting sooo early, yet they were the ones who either asked right before Christmas and were turned away because the professors were already overloaded with everyone else's requests or there were also a couple whose LOR writers ran out of time and didn't get them sent off by the deadline. Don't be a procrastinator!! lol

[jnj85]

I'm about to start my second bachelors through an online program. It appears to be a relatively small program (compared to what I've heard about USU)... so it seems possible to form some sort of relationship with the professors. I've had the thought of emailing my professors at the beginning of the semester for advice on things like how to stand out and what I would need to do for them to be comfortable writing a LOR. What do you guys think about that approach?

[slpslidingaway]

Yes, my goal is to ask them by the end of this semester and September at the very latest. Thanks for all the advice everyone! 

[Papaya91]

Yes, my goal is to ask them by the end of this semester and September at the very latest. Thanks for all the advice everyone! 

 

I think the end of this semester is the better idea. September might be too late, because some LORs are due as early as November. Also, any students who took a year off after graduating will be coming back to the same professors for LORs, so you'll be competing against not only your own peers, but old students as well. Once the professors reach a certain number of LOR requests, they may say no. So it's really in your best interest to ask as early as you can, even if the professors won't be writing them until later on. You can keep working on making yourself stand out, and getting to know the professors, after you ask for a LOR.

(I don't mean to be pushy... you're completely free to do what you want. But I had classmates who couldn't get LORs from certain professors because they waited too long to ask.)

[slpslidingaway]

No, not pushy at all! The only one I'm considering waiting on right now is the prof I'm working with in my research lab since she teaches mostly graduate students and she said she takes about two weeks. I'm hoping to have the rest set by the end of this semester so they have an entire summer to write a glowing recommendation for me . 

One last question: I have a professor from undergrad who I know would write me a wonderful LOR (she did it for an abroad program) but is in the French department plus I haven't talked to her for almost two  years. Would it be awkward to ask her for another LOR? 

[Papaya91]

That sounds like a good plan!

As for the French teacher - that sounds like a great idea! The schools I asked said they wanted at least two letters from professors (within CSD), but the other letter could be a supervisor from work, someone you volunteer for, a professor from another department, etc. Just no family or "personal" recommendations. If you think the French professor would give you one of your best recommendations, go for it! Just be sure to update him/her on what you've been doing since you last took a class from him/her, and tell him/her the topics that schools want LORs to touch on (a.k.a. not only academic ability, but clinical potential and work ethic, etc.).

I see in your signature that you have experience with people with disabilities, too. If there's a contact from there that you could ask, that's very relevant to speech therapy.

Good luck!

[slpslidingaway]

Thank you! Congrats on your acceptances! Hopefully I'll be in the same boat in a year