Ok, I met with the premed advisor today… and despite my severe disdain for this type of behavior… she suggested that I approach old professors (even if we haven’t kept in touch and weren’t very close) and ask for letters.
Of course we talked about schedule a meeting with each of them and bringing some info about me and all of that… but this seems SOOOOO awkward…
Does anybody have any suggestions for making this go somewhat smoothly?
Like I said, I feel really fake about all of this and pretty uncomfy… even though she swore up and down that it was ‘ok’ and actually expected… it still doesn’t feel right.
TIA
Andrea
You have to realize that professors are used to writing LOR’s so do not feel bad. Just bring a CV with you and sit with them and chat…see what happens.
It can at times feel fake, but that is why you should build a relationship with some of your profs and maintain it as you go through college or post-bac classes.
I think applicants don’t take this part seriously until they find themselves needed a letter, than they panic and it starts to feel fake because the relationship isn’t at all there between them and the prof. Not saying that is the case in your case, but perhaps it is.
Build relations with the profs, visit them during off hours and pop in to say hello throughout the year. Get to know them and show genuine interest in class and after class. That is the only way you can build a relationship and get a letter that says more than… “Joe was an A student.” That kind of letter is meaningless.
ANd it is good you are giving them info about you. I would suggest you give them the personal statement that you are going to submit to AMCAS or AACOMAS. That is another great reason to write your essay early.
Good luck and try not to feel uncomfortable. They are used to writings these and are used tobeing approached by students. just make sure you ask someone that can write well and will abide by the time constraints you will need.
I want to second both what AmyB and Efex said. Obviously, the best case scenario is AmyB’s solution and that might be something you should take with you into the future, but it might be a bit late for that right now. Ideally, I would target first the professors that you received a good grade but also had the most interaction with both inside and outside of class. This might mean that you might prefer to ask a professor of a class in which you received an A- but in a small section over a professor in a class in which you received an A+ but in an auditorium. I also think AmyB’s idea regarding the your personal statement/essay is excellent, even if it’s just a draft. This will set the tone and paint a picture of what you want your application to say about you (which will include the LOR). This implicitly gives the professor limits and targets for the content of the LOR. Plus, it’s a great way to get comments and proofreading. I did this for one of my post-bacc LORs and my professor gave me comments and made some edits (I did not ask him to).
Finally, I would have to agree with Efex about not being embarassed to ask the professor even if you did not have a close relationship. This is part of their job and they do it all the time. Professors really only develop relationships with select students. Most of their LOR’s include those that they did not bond with or form a relationship with outside of class. This is still the ideal situation, as AmyB, points out, but don’t be discouraged if you haven’t done so in the past. It’s quite normal. I like to approach them by email to request the LOR…I know some find this quite impersonal, but I feel that it gives the professor time to remember you, look you and your grade up, grimace or frown, and the space to agree to do it or not. Obviously, once they agree to it, I would ask them out to coffee or at the very least visit during office hours and tell them a little about yourself, your plans, etc.
I know it feels so purposeful like you’re only do it to get a LOR but that’s the process and they’re used to it. I had to ask one of my law school professors for a LOR for my post-bacc. That was so embarassing bc I had to explain my whole change of career…and ask a practice attorney/law school professor to sponsor my change in career. In the end, he was happy to do it and his letter almost made me cry.
Good luck!