As a college student myself, one of the most difficult tasks of applying for college scholarships has always been getting letters of recommendation.
Many applications have very specific requirements for the letter of recommendation, others have very few requirements. While you want to make sure all requested information is in the letter of recommendation, there are a few things you want to consider when asking a professor to write a letter of recommendation for you.
Do you talk with your professors?
Talking with your professors about the course and asking questions in class and outside of class is a good thing. It allows the professor to get to know what kind of student you are regardless of the final grade you might receive. Intelligent questions and discussion far outweigh how you do on a test because a test only shows whether you can answer a question correctly or not. It is not necessarily indicative of what kind of student you are. When requesting letters of recommendation, try to request them from professor of classes in which you have significantly participated in. In general, these are the professors that can give you the best letters of recommendation.
Have you had multiple classes with the same professor?
Once you have decided on a major and take classes within your major, you may find that you have had a professor more than once. In general, this is good because the professor has had continued experience with your work and can generally provide a fuller evaluation of you as a student and your work.
Have you had a professor for a small class?
Many lower level classes are large classes that may have up to 200 students in them. These are not usually good classes for a professor to evaluate your work. In fact, you may have the best communication with a teaching assistant rather than the professor. In many cases, the professor may not even know who you are. Professors that teach small classes have a better chance of getting to know you and evaluating you and your work so it is generally better to request letters of recommendations from them.
These are just some considerations you should think about when choosing a professor for writing a letter of recommendation. However, they should not completely limit you.
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The author of this article runs CollegeMoneyUnlimited.com, a college scholarship and college funding resource and information site.
Source: www.articledashboard.com
