Recommendation letters

[ohiopremed]

Hi guys. I am a sophomore in college. I am confused over how to make sure that teachers know me so that they can give me recommendation letters. All my classes are very huge and i don't know how. How to make sure that she will know about me so that she can be write a good recommendation letter about. Can u give me some advice please.Thank u very much. I appreciate it

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[aspirant]

ohiopremed,

Go to office hours every time you have a question, and ask good questions (i.e. ones that show you've been studying a lot.)

Sit towards the front of the class. First two rows.

Perform well. The best way to get noticed is to be at the top of your class.

This is a basic list of how I've gotten to know a few professors, I'm sure there are others on here who have excellent suggestions.

(It seems to me that the best professor letter would come from someone you worked with on research as an undergrad. Not something I've done yet, but just a thought for you.)

Good luck.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Even something as simple as sitting in the front row can help. If you get to class a little early, you can talk with your professor at the beginning. Even if it's just small talk, at least the professor will get to know who you are.

 

[Supadupafly]

Volunteer a few hours a week for a semester to help with their research. This adds research experience and helps them really get to know you.

 

[faraway]

attending office hours is a great way of getting to know profs. email is also a good way to start getting to know each other, but ultimately professors would like to know you, not as an address, but as a person - getting together for lunch or sticking around after class is more personal. and as far as LORs are concerned, the more personal the better

 

[chuck deli]

I would also recommend asking for the letter of recommendation during/immediately after the semester. Do not wait until Junior or Senior year...cause the professor definitely will not remember you! When I applied, I had a letter of rec. from my sophomore year, junior year, and senior year. No medical school cared.

 

[wiboy]

For your school the big names are the best ones to write, though all are good. Choose which class you want the prof to write one for you and get a high A. Try to get the best grade in the class then they can say that in the letter. Remind them when you go to ask.

Develop a genuine relationship with the prof by going to office with good questions. If possible ask about hard questions that are "optional" to do -- applies only to some classes. This will show you are a thinker.

Profs have an obligation to act as a "good citizen" by virtue of being a part of the U community. This includes writing letters of rec, though they can choose whether or not to write individual ones, or whether or not to write good ones.

 

[ixitixl]

Language classes are good in this sense. Language instructors, whether they be senior lecturers or professors tend to know their students very well.

 

[MeowMix]

I got a great LOR in a class of 300 by:
- getting a really good grade
- doing all the homework, reading, and asking questions in class (some dumb ones and some good ones)
- going to weekly review sessions and pre-exam review sessions
- doing really well in lab
- helping other people
- never sucking up; being genuine

What really helped was that the head TA helped the prof write the letter. Both of them knew who I was, but the TA had way more time than the prof did.