I do not want to use professors for grad school applications. Will non professors work?

Question

Greetings all!

I am applying to grad school (library science). I don't have any professors I feel comfortable using for my recommendations but I have been working at a library for over 4 years and would like to use my director, my supervisor, and an old supervisor as my references.

Do you think this will fly? My director and old supervisor are pretty well known and while I don't want to play on their celebrity I am hoping it will give me an edge.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I know this is not what you want to hear, but your application will be seen as very problematic with no letters of recommendation from former professors.

While your director and supervisors can comment upon your job performance, the graduate admissions committee will not be interested in this information. They need information on your performance in the college classroom. They need to know how well you can write an academic paper, how frequent and valuable were your contributions to class discussion, and how well-suited you are to academic study at the graduate level. No matter how well you performed at your job, your director and supervisors cannot testify to this.

You must get letters from your former professors. Because you are looking at at MLS, you might be able to get away with one letter from a director/supervisor, but honestly, if I were you, I would make that letter *in addition* to the three from professors that are normally required.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

Having a couple of library references will probably be good for a library science grad program, especially if they are well known. And, librarians are generally recognized as good academic references, on a par with professors.

However, putting in an application with no letters from professors you've taken a class from may make the admissions committees suspicious. They might think that you are not very noticeable in class. Can't you find even one professor to ask for a reference? They don't have to be your best friend, but I think it would help if a professor could say something positive about you in addition to the stronger references from the library folks.

Answer 3

You should definitely use at least one person from your work. However, most grad schools require at that 2 of your letters come from professors. They want to know about your academics and how you are as a student. They want to make sure that you can academically succeed in a graduate program.

I know that it is hard to ask professors for letters - especially if you are not very close to any. However, to make this easier, you should pick 2-3 and go to their office hours. Let them know that you are in their class and really enjoy it. Then tell them about your interest in grad school and how you need a letter of rec.

Just make sure that you did well in the class

Good luck!

Answer 4

I agree with the first poster. Admissions will wonder why you don't have ANY professors as references.

When I applied to grad school, I was very nervous about asking professors because I had been out of school for so long. When I emailed one professor, she seemed hesitant until I met up with her and she saw my face - she couldn't remember my name but she recognized me and was more than happy to help me out. I also took a summer course to have an additional recent reference. I wasn't very comfortable asking for the reference letters, but the professors were very supportive and willing to help. They want to see their students succeed!

I would definitely use at least one of your library references - especially if they are well known. But I think it would be wise to use at least one professor as well.

Good luck to you!

Answer 5

For graduate studies, your recommendations should come from people with doctorate degrees. They are the ones that know if you are capable of graduate level work.

It is generally frowned upon having recommendations from non-academic references.

These recommendations are not character recommendations, they are academic recommendations. They don't care if you came in to work on time every day (although that is important), they want to know that you can handle graduate level work, graduate on time, and actually contribute something to the program.