What does it take to get a recommendation from a professor?

Question

How can any prof. have the opportunity to know you well enough to write you a rec.? If you only see them for one semester and that is usually not good enough to them, then what am I suppose to do to earn a rec.? I get A's in the classes. What else could I possibly do to qualify for one???? How will I ever get a rec.?

Answer 1

Kellahawk's response is very good. Speak out in class, go to office hours, say hi to the prof in the hall throughout the semester so s/he knows who you are before being asked for a letter. But be professional - asking for a recommendation is really asking to be treated as a junior colleague, a member of the community of scholars. You want the letter to say that you are intelligent, hard-working, responsible, a good communicator, an independent (and possibly creative) thinker, and a person of excellent character - and to contain supporting examples and comparisons. Show those qualities in the classroom and when you ask for the recommendation. Bribing, enticing, or begging for a letter, or arguing about grades, don't match this ideal, so just don't. Also, be aware that your prof may ask colleagues about you, especially if you are the quiet brainy type who is easy to spot as brilliant but hard to get to know, if you have a weakness in your record such as a term with poor grades, or if you are extremely unconventional in some way.

Do you have an opportunity to do an independent project or lab work with any of the profs at your school? Or to serve as an undergraduate teaching assistant? When you work closely with a prof on research or teaching he or she can get a much better idea of your capabilities than classwork alone can show - and the resulting letter will be far richer and more accurate.

Finally, when you ask for a recco, offer the prof a copy of your resume and copies of any writing you did for the class. (you did save those, didn't you?) The resume will help put your class performance (which the prof knows) into a bigger picture of who you are and where you're headed. The writing samples will help the prof evaluate your communication skills, creativity and capacity for analysis.

Good luck!

Answer 2

My experience is that you need to have a good rapport with the professor during the semester that you are in his/her class. Also it helps if you are asking for a rec from a prof in your declared major/minor area. That often gives them the sense that they are going to see you again throughout the course of your program. I usually was bold enough to ask. I needed three recommendation I am also gregarious and stand out in class enough so that the professors remember me with ease. It is best to get a rec from a professor in whose class there were only about 25-40 students. You have a better chance of making an impression upon that professor.

Good luck with getting a recommendation.

Answer 3

You need to go to office hours, participate in class, and possibly do extracurricular activites with that professor (such as research) to get them to notice you. When I transferred colleges and needed to get recs, I asked the professors who I had closely interacted with and taken the time to get to know outside of the classroom.

Answer 4

Does your college have research assistants for some of its departments? For one semester, you can volunteer to work 1-4 hours a week for a professor and her graduate student on their research and ask for a recommendation at the end of the semester. Try your department first, then try sociology, psychology, biology, or any other department that does research.

Answer 5

Apart from getting "A" grades, you should mingle or associate with them. Invite them whenever there are special occassions in the family (ie. Birthday, anniversary, house warming, etc.) and introduce them to the family circle.