Re-applicant letter of recs

[basketball2squid]

Hi! Because I'm a college re-applicant, I need a letter of recs from my college teachers. Unfortunately, almost all of my classes are lectures. Do you all have any tips as to who I should ask for a letter of rec, or what I should do to be able to get a letter of rec from my lecture professors?

 

[A1Janitor]

Have you talked to your professors?

Schedule an appointment in office hours, tell them you need a letter of rec, and you want to find out what you have to do to excel in the class, help lead others that need tutoring, and earn the recommendation.

For every student - get to know your teachers and professors. They want to help good students.

 

[MidCakePa]

Don’t use “all my classes are lectures” as an excuse. I teach at our flagship state university. Each year, several students ask me to write a letter of recommendation — whether for grad school or a job or a scholarship.

To those whom I’ve never met, the answer is a flat no. Even if they got the highest grade in the class. That’s because I have no basis on which to assess them beyond that grade, and the grade speaks for itself.

Instead, I save my time and energy for students who came to me early, introduced themselves, told me what their goals were for the class and beyond, engaged fully and prominently during class, came to office hours to engage further, and then asked politely for a reco letter. To them, my response is a hearty “Absolutely!”

Start by sitting in the front row, and then visiting office hours to introduce yourself. It’s really not that hard.

 

[bethf]

Don’t use “all my classes are lectures” as an excuse. I teach at our flagship state university. Each year, several students ask me to write a letter of recommendation — whether for grad school or a job or a scholarship.

To those whom I’ve never met, the answer is a flat no. Even if they got the highest grade in the class. That’s because I have no basis on which to assess them beyond that grade, and the grade speaks for itself.

Instead, I save my time and energy for students who came to me early, introduced themselves, told me what their goals were for the class and beyond, engaged fully and prominently during class, came to office hours to engage further, and then asked politely for a reco letter. To them, my response is a hearty “Absolutely!”

Start by sitting in the front row, and then visiting office hours to introduce yourself. It’s really not that hard.

Such great advice, I just sent a screenshot of this to my daughter, who is in medical school. (Not my SA candidate) LOR will be necessary in her future, and I think college students just assume in large lectures they won't be able to engage. Thanks for sharing!

 

[bethf]

Such great advice, I just sent a screenshot of this to my daughter, who is in medical school. (Not my SA candidate) LOR will be necessary in her future, and I think college students just assume in large lectures they won't be able to engage. Thanks for sharing!

@MidCakePa, she already sent me back a text saying, "Thank you so much for this advice. I really need to do this more. It's a great reminder."

 

[Jetbill]

As an aside, this is one of the biggest advantages to attending a Service Academy Prep program, such as Marion Military Institute (Jr College).
In addition to having ROTC to join, the Reapplicant has professors in place who, as part of their job description, write these letters/evals. I would advise any Reapplicant with a burning desire to attend a Service Academy, with a year (or two) to spare, to consider this approach. Transfer to a 4 year Traditional University is always an option for later plan B pursuits, in the unlikely event an Appointment is still lacking after a determined effort. Admittedly not the choice for everyone, but worst case scenario you'll save a ton of money compared to State U.
DS received 3 Appointments while attending MMI as a "self-prep". And is currently a Plebe at West Point living his dream.
MMI was the BEST decision we ever made.

 

[DrMom]

Talk to your professors. Those are the recommendations that you need. You can always stand out in lectures--by asking a great question (although not every class), by doing well on exams and written projects. Reach out to your professor...often the profs will say: tell me what you need me to say--and then you send them a draft of the material you need included in the letter to help them.

 

[Runnerthirteen]

As an aside, this is one of the biggest advantages to attending a Service Academy Prep program, such as Marion Military Institute (Jr College).
In addition to having ROTC to join, the Reapplicant has professors in place who, as part of their job description, write these letters/evals. I would advise any Reapplicant with a burning desire to attend a Service Academy, with a year (or two) to spare, to consider this approach. Transfer to a 4 year Traditional University is always an option for later plan B pursuits, in the unlikely event an Appointment is still lacking after a determined effort. Admittedly not the choice for everyone, but worst case scenario you'll save a ton of money compared to State U.
DS received 3 Appointments while attending MMI as a "self-prep". And is currently a Plebe at West Point living his dream.
MMI was the BEST decision we ever made.

I couldn't agree more with @Jetbill. DS was lucky enough to secure a sponsored spot at Marion. I would recommend MMI for anyone ,even as a self sponsored cadet. The support that they receive as re-applicants is top notch!