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College Students: How to Score a Perfect Recommendation

As you consider the next stage in your career, you may find yourself applying to a program that requires recommendations from a professor at your college. Whether for grad school or a prestigious fellowship, recommendations can make the difference between a thick envelope and a night of tears. But how do you get a great recommendation from your professor, especially if you find yourself in a department with lots of students and little one-on-one interaction? There is no mystery to the process. Read what our Ivy League coaches have to say:

1) Get to know your professor ASAP. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, it is never too early or too late to introduce yourself to the professor after class. Ask an intelligent question to start the conversation. Go to the professor’s office hours to ask about some material. Has the professor published a book or article recently? Learn more about it and bring it up in conversation. You want to show interest in what he or she cares about most. Does the professor have an outside passion — a sport, an art form? You will be surprised how interesting your professor might be and how much you may have in common. Frequent and sustained conversations are the best way to develop that personal relationship.

2) Work with a professor. Does your professor need a research assistant? A lab technician? Find out and volunteer. Professors often need students to help them. Alternatively, your school may require you to choose an adviser for a research paper. This is where #1 comes in. A professor with whom you already have an established relationship will be much more likely to choose you over other students. Once you’re in, do a great job! A professor who knows and appreciates your high-quality work won’t need any convincing to write you a high-quality recommendation.

3) Choose appropriately. Court professors who will be able to provide relevant insights for the type of program you want. If you’re applying to medical school, choose a science professor, not one in comparative literature. If you want to go to business school, choose an economics or business professor. A Ph.D. program in French Language will probably want to hear from a honcho from the French department. You get the idea.

4) Make the Ask. By now you have a close relationship with at least one or two professors who have your back and you know you want them to write you a rec. Approach them in person when they have some free time; office hours or after class work well.  Start by telling them about your plans for the future. Believe us, they’ll be interested. Then ask directly whether they would be willing to help you out by writing a recommendation. They should have no problem saying yes.

5) Manage Expectations. Here is where many students trip up. You need a recommender to describe you in the best possible terms. When a school asks whether you are in the top 10% or 5% of students the professor has ever taught, he needs to be able to say “best I ever taught.”  Ask your professor respectfully whether she would be comfortable recommending you in those highest possible terms. Explain that this is what is necessary to gain admission to highly competitive programs. If the answer is no, then move on; you need a different recommender.

In addition, it is your responsibility to help the professor craft a great recommendation. From your own planning, you should have a clear message about you that you wish each recommender to communicate to the program. Perhaps you need the professor to affirm that your grades do not adequately reflect your aptitude. Maybe you need the professor to simply speak about why your research is exceptional. Make sure you share with the professor what the goal of the recommendation is and how the professor can best help you achieve that. And give your professor plenty of time to complete it.

A great recommendation can rocket your candidacy to the top of the list. Don’t lose out on the opportunity this presents. To speak with one of our advisers about planning your application, contact info@newcastletutors.com today.

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Posted on: Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 at 12:04 pm

Posted in: college tutors, Trends, Uncategorized

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