need... scholarship... money...

April 30, 2008 10:32 PM

I'm applying for a scholarship. Scholarship requires academic references. Uh oh...

I've basically kept a low profile in university. I don't approach professors or TAs, and I study on my own or with my friends and get decent grades.

Now, I am applying for a scholarship that requires two academic references, but now that I think about it, I have no one to ask for a reference letter...

Now I'm considering my options.
Do you think it would be weird if I emailed a professor and ask for a reference letter? Or maybe one of my TAs? What is the likelihood of them writing my a reference letter? Has anybody else had this problem before?

posted by veol to education (14 comments total)

This isn't unusual or weird at all. Even if you did speak up in class more, a professor may have more or less forgotten you by the next year. Go ahead and ask, they are used to it. Be sure to help them remember by stating when you were in their class and, if it involved a big project/paper, what your topic was.
posted by Martin E. at 10:40 PM on April 30, 2008

The scholarship selection committee is unlikely to be impressed with a reference from your TA. You can start e-mailing your former profs and see if they will write a letter. Some of them will refuse, some of them will probably do it. Ask the ones that will have the best subjective things to say—a small class where you impressed them with a big project will be better than a large class where you aced the tests anonymously.

You might want to make your profile a bit higher from now on.
posted by grouse at 10:43 PM on April 30, 2008

When I asked my professor for a reference, he said "I find it so hard to keep track of undergrads. Just write it yourself, and I'll sign it". I think they're pretty used to it, and I doubt they'd refuse just because you weren't the life of every party.
posted by twirlypen at 10:54 PM on April 30, 2008

Hey, I feel you. I had the same problem when I was applying to grad school. In the end I just had to suck it up and approach two professors I didn't know very well and ask if they would write me recommendation letters. In both cases I had done well in their classes and they at least knew who I was, if nothing else. Thankfully, they were both willing to help out, and I gave them packets with my current transcript, resume, statement of purpose, topics they might want to cover on the rec. letter, info about my prospective schools, etc. Your profs will most likely have written recommendation letters for other students they barely knew, so you just have to give them some material to work with.
posted by pravit at 10:56 PM on April 30, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

No, asking for a letter is not weird.

People differ on this. I think the right way to do this is to simply and straightforwardly ask for what you want in your first email, because this way doesn't waste my time pretending to have social interactions with you. I also prefer email over you wandering in and chatting with me, since then I can respond asynchronously.

"Dear Professor,

I was a student in your BLAH class in spring 2005; I ended up with an A- in the course after writing a paper on TOPIC.

I am now applying for SCHOLARSHIP. Would you please be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me? As well, I would be grateful for any advice you can offer about crafting my application for this award. I'd be very happy to come to your office hours to discuss this further."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:58 PM on April 30, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]

All of the above is true as far as what it takes to get a letter of recommendation. However, my understanding is that for most purposes, the generic letters that result are considered as worthless. A letter that says "This student studied really hard and received an A- in my class on Advanced Awesomeness" is simply a rehash of your transcript, and does not lend any insight. Thus, when asking for recommendations, try to remind your professors about how you went above and beyond the requirements, did something interesting, etc.

A letter that says "This guy really screwed up his first midterm, but then demonstrated amazing initiative to make up the difference during the rest of the class" would be better than the "studied hard, got A" version.

I also don't quite know the protocol for the write-it-yourself letters, but in general, the letter tend to be quite boastful and impressive-sounding. When I read one of my letters of rec, my first reaction was "who's this guy? I really want to be like him. Oh ... this is me ... ??? I guess all the facts are true but the spin makes it sound so impressive."
posted by bsdfish at 11:28 PM on April 30, 2008

Aside from the issue of who to ask, I just though I might suggest that you might want to do more than just email. If the professors aren't likely to remember you right off you're certainly not helping your case if you don't show your face again. You might get a better reaction by showing up in person and giving them a better chance to remember you.

Additionally, whenever I've done reference letters I have always prepared all the materials the person will need ahead of time. Provide the envelopes if they have to be sealed in such, provide the stamps and address the envelopes if they have to be submitted directly by mail.

I've been thanked by Profs who had a dozen letters to write and had other students who left them to fill in forms with the student's name, major etc.

Also, ask if they will write you a GOOD reference letter. I've known profs who would write their honest thoughts about anyone who asked them for a reference, and some of those students would probably be happier today if they had asked upfront what they would be getting.

Hope that helps.
posted by tiamat at 11:36 PM on April 30, 2008

Take a paper or test you did very well on. Approach prof with evidence that you're good student. This also works with jogging the memory of old teachers who need to be reminded that you were the one who made witty Hamlet puns in your term paper, or whatever.
posted by Phalene at 12:17 AM on May 1, 2008

Go in person to ask at their office hours, dress casually but neatly, and be generally pleasant. Be prepared to remind them who you are. If you have a curriculum vitae or if you've done any academic work relevant to their discipline (or won any departmental prizes), tell them about it. Bring samples if you can.

As tiamat says, do all the work for them that you can. If there's a form, have it already filled out to give to them when you stop by their office for the first time. Then, ask if you should bring a SASE'd envelope by (they'll probably be using university letterhead and metered mail, so the answer will likely be no).

A generic letter (as bsdfish has warned against) won't hurt you, per se. It won't necessarily help, but it will convey that you're not a nutcase, that you came to class, and that your professor doesn't remember anything negative about you. That's good. The rest of the work you're doing for the scholarship application is the important part: if you've got a stellar essay and good grades to back it up, you'll do fine. The recs are usually the least important part of the application packet.
posted by soviet sleepover at 12:41 AM on May 1, 2008

ROU-X's form is a good one to follow. I would add a sentence or two, mentioning that you are attaching your CV/resume and a copy of your letter to the scholarship; having those two things makes it a lot easier to write a letter for a student you barely know.
posted by Forktine at 6:28 AM on May 1, 2008

What Forktine said.

For whatever it's worth, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that writing recommendations is part of the job, not some onerous extra thing, and that I will write anyone a letter at the upper border of the truth (ie, any better would be a lie), and would tell someone if I could not write a good letter for them.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:10 AM on May 1, 2008

Yup, what ROU_X said. I would also add the deadline for when the letter needs to be in by when asking. I routinely refuse letters without a 2-3 week advanced notice, especially around this time of the academic year. You don't want them to say yes, only to say no later when you tell them the deadline, because then you have even less time to ask other professors. Also, for some scholarships, a one paragraph note is all that's necessary, whereas for others, a 2-3 page single spaced letter detailing accomplishments is what's needed. While most professors are familiar with the types of scholarships that students generally apply for and know what kind is needed, if you're applying for an obscure scholarship, give the prof heads up on what type of letter is the norm.
Good luck.
posted by jujube at 7:58 AM on May 1, 2008

Seconding everyone here, if you were a good student, you can supply the professor with all pertinent infos (the class you attented, your grade, and any particular mention you got), and then explain him or her which scholarship you're applying for, and why you're a good candidate. They do it all the time. Obvisously, the better relation you had with the professor, the better the letter can be...

And while any letter won't hurt you, a strong and "original" letter can make quite a difference.
posted by ddaavviidd at 10:22 AM on May 1, 2008

Hi:

I've had that same problem, because I am introverted and not a natural schmoozer. I've learned the hard way that schmoozing is as essential as the 3 R's for success in life. The advice you've already gotten are last-minute band-aids. If you are interested in continuing on to grad school, you'll have to start laying the groundwork months ahead of time.

1. Look for part-time projects or jobs with faculty members, that way they will really get to know you.

2. Target specific faculty members: find one that is in the field you're interested in, and is senior enough to know a lot of people. In grad schools, it makes a huge difference if the reader of the recommendation letter personally knows the writer.

3. Be pleasant, non-demanding, and show initiative: go to office hours, offer to work on small projects, always be amiable, make smalltalk about your hobbies or theirs. If they remember you as a pleasant person, that will translate to the page. For grad school, a lot of what they're looking for in a letter is "this person is not an annoying boor" more so than "this person is smart and hardworking".

4. All you need is a handful of faculty to vouch for you. Think of it as a special seminar in self-marketing and human relations, and devote a few hours a week to it. Make a plan, take small but consistent steps, and don't be dismayed if you don't "click" with one particular person. Give them a bit more time or move on -- you're in charge.

This is more for grad school, but can also yield highly compelling letters for scholarships. Of course, if you already know how to schmooze but just didn't choose to exercise that skill, then you should be giving me advice!
posted by ebellicosa at 10:09 PM on May 1, 2008