Trouble asking for LORs when I feel totally forgettable by professors

[yochapa]

Hi everyone,

So, I am currently in the process of applying to graduate school, and while I feel very confident about my application, I'm super nervous about asking for letters of recommendation. To provide you with some information, my overall GPA is a 3.7, and the GPA of my minor (the field I want to go into) is a 3.9. Further, I am currently executing two relevant research projects which will make my application stand out.

I have already decided on two of my recommendors. One is going to be my work supervisor who has known me personally and professionally for three years. I feel like she can speak to my abilities as a professional, and her letter will nicely complement those of two professors. Another letter will be from a professor in my major with whom I took two classes and received A's in (I selected him because he's very, very nice and I think he would say wonderful things about anyone).

It is my final letter which I am struggling with. I need this letter to come from someone in the department which I intend to pursue my master's in (the one I am minoring in). Unfortunately, I feel like I haven't been able to develop strong relationships with these professors as I have only taken 1 class with any of them, and their main focus is with graduate students so there are no research or teacher's aide opportunities with them. Two years ago, I took two classes with the same professor in the department and got A's in both. I participated a lot in class and did quite well, but I feel as though by now she will have forgotten me. Also, there is a professor that is my advisor and is also the advisor of the club I am president for, but she's never taught me in a course and is only now beginning to get to know me.

In general, I feel like I am a very independent learner and have not cultivated strong enough relationships with any professors to get particularly good letters of recommendation.  Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and what have you done to overcome it? Thank you so much for your input!

Edited September 11, 2017 by yochapa

[TakeruK]

What about asking the people supervising the research projects that you are currently working on? Your sidebar info says SLP and I know professional programs are very different than what I'm used to / knowledgeable about, but usually research advisor letters are much stronger than letters from profs that only taught you (and that you don't have some other relationship with, such as an academic advisor or something). So, since you already have one letter writer that will discuss your coursework, what if your 3rd letter came from one of your research advisors? (Unless your research advisor isn't from your minor's department, then I guess you might consider replacing the major prof's letter with a research letter?)

Note: Picking a letter writer who will always say wonderful things about everyone isn't always a good idea. Programs do calibrate the letters they read especially if they keep getting glowing letters all the time from a specific person. However, since it sounds like this prof is in a different dept than the one you're applying to, the prof might not be known to the dept you're applying to as someone who always does this.