Is it alright to ask a professor for a SECOND LOR? I need advice?

[StuckandScared]

If anyone's read my other post, you know what's going on, but if you haven't....Long story short I'm in law school and I hate it. I'm considering applying to other grad programs.

 

The problem? Most of the programs I've looked at require 3 LORs, preferably academic ones. That's a problem, because the teachers who knew me best, I already asked for LORs for law school. I was never that super outgoing/best-friends-with-the-professor student in undergrad, so my pool of professors to ask is very limited. I'm definitely thinking I want to apply to a counseling program, and 2 of the professors I asked for my law school letters were psychology professors--My junior level writing requirement for my psych major (he saw more of me and my writing than probably any other professor combined), and my senior capstone professor, who also saw my writing and research projects. They both wrote them and I'm grateful.

 

My question...Is it alright to ask a professor for a second letter of recommendation? Or is that super tacky and make me look like a terrible person? I'm going home for "fall break" next week, and have the opportunity to go meet them at their office hours and ask in person, and this is the only such in person opportunity I will have, possibly ever (I'm not going home for thanksgiving because of finals week brewing, and I won't be home for Christmas break until after my undergraduate institution's holiday break begins and they won't have office hours at that point). If it is okay..What do I say? "Hello Dr. ____. Remember me? Thank you for the best letter of recommendation I've ever seen. I hate law school, and I'm wondering if you'd write me a more general letter of rec?"

 

My other options OF PROFESSORS WHO HAVEN'T WRITTEN ME LETTERS OF REC include:

A. a biochemistry professor I had this spring (I was in his office weekly because I strugged with biochem and had to work extremely hard to succeed in that class), so he has a good concept of me as a student and my work ethic, but he never saw me write a paper.

B. An online anthropology professor who I had for multiple classes (I have a minor in anthropology), and I wrote many essays for her classes and had great grades, but she never met me in person.

C. A T.A. for a biology junior level writing requirement lab, very writing intensive, she probably still knows me by name, from this spring, but she is a grad student (hence a TA) herself. She saw my writing abilities and tenacity as a student and was aware of my plans to go on to law school, but I only got a B in the class.

D. A professor who had me at community college in high school for FOUR classes, and saw a dozen of my written essays and who absolutely loved me--he was my favorite professor in all of my college years--he was going to write me a letter of rec for law school but became very ill and couldn't at last minute.

E. A professor who had me for a senior level psychology class this summer--the very last undergraduate class I ever took. I got an A in his class, communicated with him often via email for feedback in the class, and had to write a research essay, but there's a problem...It was an online class.

 

Is it kosher to ask a professor from an online class for a letter of rec? Help please. I would hate to never have the opportunity to apply to any other grad program simply because I can't find anyone else to write me a letter of rec.

 

[biisis]

Yeah- I don't see the problem in asking your letter writers for re-writes for your next application. They might still have your old letter on file, saving them some time. It's always awkward leaving one program for another, and maybe you're magnifying that feeling into this aspect of your application? It probably won't be such a big deal for them as it is for you.They might be curious as to why you're leaving your program, but they either want to do the best they can by you for your future, whatever that may be, or they really don't care at all, and one letter's the same as the next for them. Such is life in academia. You won't have been the first to ask for a second letter. 

 

As always, pick letter writers who know you best, with good credentials. Online professors probably aren't that. Based on your previous admissions, it seems like your former batch of letter writers was a good bunch.

 

Best of luck! I hope the process goes well for you!