Letters of Recommendation - who to ask?

[Pjust]

Hello fellow potential graduate students!

I need some advise about letters of recommendation. I have been out of undergrad for about 3 years now. I have been working full-time since graduation. I am wondering - how important is it for me to obtain a letter of recommendation from one of my former professors? I feel like it has been so long that I am concerned that they will not remember me, or may not even be teaching at the university anymore. I did very well in undergrad and graduated with a 3.7GPA. I will have no problems getting recommendations from my employers, and my career is relevant to the graduate programs that I am applying to. What should I do? It is typical to approach professors that you have not seen in several years :?

[Joel418]

I would advise you that at least two out of your three recommenders be college professors (perhaps one from a fellow established professional), and here's why:

These programs want to know how you will succeed in the academic environment so that they can prepare for continued success in the professional realm. At the moment, you are not applying for another job, you are preparing to reenter the academic arena. Therefore, you would be better served to use academicians as your references.

I went through the same dilemma after three years outside of academia, but was advised by all who had familiarity with the process that a professor, even one who is not especially well-acquainted with your work, is the best option.

Good luck!!!

Joel

[aginath]

I've been out for almost 9 years now, but I made an effort to stay in touch with some of my faculty.

Use Facebook and former friends/colleagues to track down professors. Start talking to them now and let them know you're thinking about going to grad school. Solicit their advice on prospective programs to investigate. And use that as your segue into asking them to write a letter of recommendation.