Profs of MeFi et al, help me ask for recommendations for grad school?
October 15, 2013 11:26 AM Subscribe
I'm in the process of applying to graduate school. I need to ask for recommendations. I am really nervous and concerned about this and I have a few questions.
I've seen some of the older questions about this, but I'm doing the special snowflake thing. Apologies.
I'm applying to grad school for a health-related field. I've been out of undergrad for just over 5 years. I've spent the past year in a post-bacc program to complete the pre-reqs for grad school.
I need 3 recommendations. I've decided I'd like to ask one professor from my post-bacc program, the person who was my boss for the majority of the time since I finished undergrad, and, ideally, a professor from undergrad.
The professor from undergrad I'd like to ask was the supervisor for my senior research project. I worked with her one-on-one for a year. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I finished undergrad, but she made clear at that time (5 years ago) that she would be happy to write me a recommendation if I ever needed one. But of course it took me a while to figure that out, we've been out of touch, and now I'm nervous about emailing her and asking for a rec.
What's appropriate here? Should I email her first to inquire, and offer to send my personal statement and my resume if she agrees to write it? Should I send all of that with the initial email?
I'm a little worried because the thesis I wrote as a senior was really quite pretentious and I've changed quite a bit since then. I'm sure she'll remember me, but at the time I was an aspiring philosopher with a mohawk. I'm not that person now. Is my personal statement for grad school enough information about what I've been up to in the interim? Should I send her something else? She's across the country, so I can't meet up with her unfortunately.
If one of the folks I ask says they can't, how do I determine who else might be appropriate to ask? I've been out of undergrad for a while. I could ask two profs from my post-bacc program, but I was only moderately close to the one I plan to ask already. I did well in all of the courses, and I know some of them know who I am, but I'm not particularly 'close' with any others.
And lastly, what's an appropriate thank you or follow-up? I'm asking all of my recommenders more than two months before the first application is due, which I feel is enough time? Do I send a thank-you card? Cookies? Nothing?
Ahh! Halp me Mefi. This is far from my comfort zone.
I've seen some of the older questions about this, but I'm doing the special snowflake thing. Apologies.
I'm applying to grad school for a health-related field. I've been out of undergrad for just over 5 years. I've spent the past year in a post-bacc program to complete the pre-reqs for grad school.
I need 3 recommendations. I've decided I'd like to ask one professor from my post-bacc program, the person who was my boss for the majority of the time since I finished undergrad, and, ideally, a professor from undergrad.
The professor from undergrad I'd like to ask was the supervisor for my senior research project. I worked with her one-on-one for a year. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I finished undergrad, but she made clear at that time (5 years ago) that she would be happy to write me a recommendation if I ever needed one. But of course it took me a while to figure that out, we've been out of touch, and now I'm nervous about emailing her and asking for a rec.
What's appropriate here? Should I email her first to inquire, and offer to send my personal statement and my resume if she agrees to write it? Should I send all of that with the initial email?
I'm a little worried because the thesis I wrote as a senior was really quite pretentious and I've changed quite a bit since then. I'm sure she'll remember me, but at the time I was an aspiring philosopher with a mohawk. I'm not that person now. Is my personal statement for grad school enough information about what I've been up to in the interim? Should I send her something else? She's across the country, so I can't meet up with her unfortunately.
If one of the folks I ask says they can't, how do I determine who else might be appropriate to ask? I've been out of undergrad for a while. I could ask two profs from my post-bacc program, but I was only moderately close to the one I plan to ask already. I did well in all of the courses, and I know some of them know who I am, but I'm not particularly 'close' with any others.
And lastly, what's an appropriate thank you or follow-up? I'm asking all of my recommenders more than two months before the first application is due, which I feel is enough time? Do I send a thank-you card? Cookies? Nothing?
Ahh! Halp me Mefi. This is far from my comfort zone.
Best answer: What rtha said. This is really common. Just ask her if she will write the recommendation. I did the whole "remember me?" email and my professors were like, "Of course I remember you! Glad you're finally going to grad school!"
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:39 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:39 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Talk to the profs in your post-bacc program who know about the field you're applying to grad school in. They will know what the grad admissions committee wants to hear from a letter writer. Then you can think about who is best positioned to write a letter addressing that. (If the grad admissions committee wants to hear about your science aptitude, a letter from a non-scientist may not mean as much. If they just want to hear about your work ethic or general intelligence or whatever, then okay.)
If you end up wanting to ask your undergrad advisor, just ask - she will be pleased to hear you're doing well. Tell her what you've been up to, briefly and in a way that makes clear your dedication to your grad field, and then ask if she thinks she would be willing/able to write a letter for you. Tell her the timeframe when you'd need the letter in. It's good to send your personal statement, and also good if you can send her a copy of a paper you wrote for her (so she can remember things like "oh yeah, he came up with some great points" or whatever).
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you end up wanting to ask your undergrad advisor, just ask - she will be pleased to hear you're doing well. Tell her what you've been up to, briefly and in a way that makes clear your dedication to your grad field, and then ask if she thinks she would be willing/able to write a letter for you. Tell her the timeframe when you'd need the letter in. It's good to send your personal statement, and also good if you can send her a copy of a paper you wrote for her (so she can remember things like "oh yeah, he came up with some great points" or whatever).
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: And for followup, a heartfelt thank you note is great.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:48 AM on October 15, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:48 AM on October 15, 2013
Best answer: I applied to grad school 4ish years out of college. I sent my professor an email basically like the ones suggested above, asking if he would serve as a reference and reminding him what classes I had with him. Once he said yes I sent him a copy of the final paper I wrote for his class. I got into grad school, so it must've worked all right. I sent him a small Starbucks card ($10) to thank him, since I remembered he really liked coffee. But a note is probably just as good since I was never sure if it was really appropriate to send a thank you gift (though he did appreciate it).
posted by mlle valentine at 11:59 AM on October 15, 2013
posted by mlle valentine at 11:59 AM on October 15, 2013
Have you worked with any health professionals of the sort you aspire to be? At least one of your letters of recommendation should be from that sort of person.
posted by killdevil at 12:27 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by killdevil at 12:27 PM on October 15, 2013
Best answer: Should I email her first to inquire, and offer to send my personal statement and my resume if she agrees to write it?
I'd prefer that you attach your statement and resume to the email making the inquiry, just to avoid delays and/or additional, unnecessary emails back-and-forth. If you have a copy of your senior thesis, attach that too, as a memory-jogger.
I'm a little worried because the thesis I wrote as a senior was really quite pretentious and I've changed quite a bit since then. ... Is my personal statement for grad school enough information about what I've been up to in the interim?
Yes, and don't sweat this. I expect my students to grow and change after they leave, and am delighted to hear about what they're up to and what kind of people they've become, even as I look back fondly on the goofy, awkward people they were 'way back when.
If one of the folks I ask says they can't, how do I determine who else might be appropriate to ask? I've been out of undergrad for a while. I could ask two profs from my post-bacc program, but I was only moderately close to the one I plan to ask already.
This would be a great question to ask the post-bacc prof you are asking for a letter of rec. Asking your undergraduate advisor for a letter sounds fine to me, but I'm not in your field. Your post-bacc prof will be better able to clue you in. Remember, it is a good thing for this professor personally and the post-bacc program in general for you to go to grad school. You're improving their stats. Do not feel shy about asking their help for the application process.
And lastly, what's an appropriate thank you or follow-up? I'm asking all of my recommenders more than two months before the first application is due, which I feel is enough time? Do I send a thank-you card? Cookies? Nothing?
2 months is plenty of lead time. A thanks afterward by email is fine and standard, a thank-you card would be quite lovely, but cookies would be too much. It is our job to write letters of recommendation for our students; it's not a special favor and does not require a thank-you gift.
posted by BrashTech at 1:21 PM on October 15, 2013
I'd prefer that you attach your statement and resume to the email making the inquiry, just to avoid delays and/or additional, unnecessary emails back-and-forth. If you have a copy of your senior thesis, attach that too, as a memory-jogger.
I'm a little worried because the thesis I wrote as a senior was really quite pretentious and I've changed quite a bit since then. ... Is my personal statement for grad school enough information about what I've been up to in the interim?
Yes, and don't sweat this. I expect my students to grow and change after they leave, and am delighted to hear about what they're up to and what kind of people they've become, even as I look back fondly on the goofy, awkward people they were 'way back when.
If one of the folks I ask says they can't, how do I determine who else might be appropriate to ask? I've been out of undergrad for a while. I could ask two profs from my post-bacc program, but I was only moderately close to the one I plan to ask already.
This would be a great question to ask the post-bacc prof you are asking for a letter of rec. Asking your undergraduate advisor for a letter sounds fine to me, but I'm not in your field. Your post-bacc prof will be better able to clue you in. Remember, it is a good thing for this professor personally and the post-bacc program in general for you to go to grad school. You're improving their stats. Do not feel shy about asking their help for the application process.
And lastly, what's an appropriate thank you or follow-up? I'm asking all of my recommenders more than two months before the first application is due, which I feel is enough time? Do I send a thank-you card? Cookies? Nothing?
2 months is plenty of lead time. A thanks afterward by email is fine and standard, a thank-you card would be quite lovely, but cookies would be too much. It is our job to write letters of recommendation for our students; it's not a special favor and does not require a thank-you gift.
posted by BrashTech at 1:21 PM on October 15, 2013
Best answer: Oh, and I forgot my favorite letter-of-recommendation hack: Send your thank you email a couple of days before the deadline of the first program. If your professor has spaced it off, this will remind them in a gracious and not-naggy way.
posted by BrashTech at 1:27 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by BrashTech at 1:27 PM on October 15, 2013
To add to the above: since it's been a while, anything and everything you can send to help her write her letter will be thoroughly appreciated.
posted by Dashy at 5:16 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Dashy at 5:16 PM on October 15, 2013
Have you volunteered or job shadowed anywhere relative to this degree program? Supervisory-type people from placements are great resources for this kind of thing, or at least that's how things seem to work for admission into Occupational Therapy programs.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:46 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 5:46 PM on October 15, 2013
Response by poster: Hey everyone. Thanks so much for your responses! Seriously incredibly helpful.
I went ahead and sent the emails today, taking into account all of your advice. Now I just have to sit and wait nervously.
Oh, and yeah, one of them is to someone I job-shadowed who was also my professor.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:48 PM on October 21, 2013
I went ahead and sent the emails today, taking into account all of your advice. Now I just have to sit and wait nervously.
Oh, and yeah, one of them is to someone I job-shadowed who was also my professor.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:48 PM on October 21, 2013
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I can promise you that you were not and are not the only undergrad like this that she encountered, and that she knows that people change. Shoot her a short email - "Hi, remember me? I really appreciated your mentorship during my senior project. I'm finally applying to grad school and would love to have your reference for the programs I'm applying to. Please let me know what materials I can send you to that will help in any way."
posted by rtha at 11:31 AM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]