Complicated Letter of Recommendation scenario

[Midnight rambler]

To make a long story short, I was accepted in January into a graduate certificate program at the university i wanted to attend. My goal was to apply to the grad program at this school that is the same as my certificate. When talking with the admissions counselor, she said I could apply to the  masters program and would be able to transfer the credits i earned in the certificate to the full masters program. She then suggested I get recommendation letters from the professors whose classes i have been taking to attest to my ability to handle graduate level work. I spoke to one of my professors, and she said she would write the letter, but she said it wont be very long and will basically just state i can handle the work. She said she normally doesn't write letters unless she has had more than one class with a student or worked on research with her. The dilemma i am facing is, I really don't have anyone else to ask but these two teachers and I feel that i will probably get the same response from the second teacher. I currently have an A in each class and they both can attest that i can handle the work, but theirs not much else they can put down since its my first semester here. What can i do about situation? 

[nugget]

Can you wait an extra semester or two before applying? If so, consider this option so that you will have more profs to choose from and your LORs will be stronger and more detailed.

 

If delaying isn't an option, are these really the only 2 profs that you can ask? Is there anyone else you might want to ask instead? Explore this option and if you can't ask anyone else and you can't delay your application, then you don't have any choice. Have them write your LORs, apply and see what happens.

Edited April 13, 2014 by jenste

[Midnight rambler]

I am very new to the program and these are the only two professors I can really ask. I was going to wait to apply to the spring semester instead,  but the admissions coordinator kept trying to urge me to apply for this coming fall.

[nugget]

So it sounds like your choice is between applying now and getting LORS from these 2 profs or applying later on and asking other profs or the same ones (with the benefit that they will know you better by then).

 

Are there any benefits or advantages to applying now versus later on?

 

If you wait, how will this change your prospects of getting LORS? Do you plan to do research or work on projects with some of your profs? Can you take a second class next semester with the prof you mentioned prefers writing LORS for people she has taught more than once?

[Midnight rambler]

I can take another class with one of the professors this summer. I am not sure if delaying will affect my ability to get LOR from them. I'm thinking of having a chat with the admissions coordinator to find out what would be a better choice about applying now or for the spring.

[bsharpe269]

If you do put off applying then I would recommend increasing interactions with the professors as well. Since I am half way through my masters now and plan on applying to phd programs, LORs have definitely been on my mind. I actually have had professors in this program offer to be a phd program LOR without my asking. Being an A student really doesnt mean much in grad school since half of the people in a class are probably also A students and working as hard as you. I don't think Id ask a professor who i wasnt the top grade or at least 2nd top in the class for an LOR. Also, here are the sorts of things that have resulted in professors offering to write an LOR:

 

-  All extra class work opportunities should be taken. For example, one of my professors put a problem on the slides that he hadnt been able to figure out and mentioed that it would be great if anyone could get a solution. I spent a ton of time on it and got a solution. This sort of thing really sets you apart from the rest of the class who also got As on the test.

- Also, I highly recommend reading your professor's publications and going to their office to discuss them and ask questions.

- This sort of goes back to number 1 but another thing I do is if I am really interested in a topic in class then I ask the professor if they have recommendations for further reading on that topic. This shows you are interested, sets you appart for the class, and also lets you gain more knowedge on subjects you like.

 

I do think that professors expect these sorts of things from the grad students they write LORs for. A professor can only write an LOR for 1 or 2 students saying they are amazing/top of their class so it takes extra stuff to get those letters.

[Midnight rambler]

1. I know how letter of reccomendations work, I got some good ones when I first got into a grad program in alabama.

2. I was trying to transfer from said alabama program to this new program in my home state because and ended in a certificate program at the school I am at since i missed the deadline. I AM ALREADY TAKING CLASSES IN PROGRAM THAT I AM TRYING TO GET IN.

3. This program is more terminal and isn't used as jumping board for phd . I really have no desire to earn a phd and I really cant work on any projects with them and I have showed interest talk

[Midnight rambler]

1. I know how letter of reccomendations work, I got some good ones when I first got into a grad program in alabama.

2. I was trying to transfer from said alabama program to this new program in my home state because and ended in a certificate program at the school I am at since i missed the deadline. I AM ALREADY TAKING CLASSES IN PROGRAM THAT I AM TRYING TO GET IN.

3. This program is more terminal and isn't used as jumping board for phd . I really have no desire to earn a phd and I really cant work on any projects with them and I have showed interest talking to them about their work, but still I just started so they only thing they can put on a letter is pretty much saying I am capable of doing graduate level work. I worked in the filed already, so I am not going in blindly

4. I think I am gonna talk to the admissions coordinator more about what the school is looking for In terms of the letter. If they want a basic one that states I can do grad level work, than yea I will go ahead and apply for fall. If they want more to the letter, I'll wait till spring. The programs website said you can transfer up to 12 hours of the certificate into the masters program if you meet the minimum requirements for the program, which i do.