Personally, getting letters of rec (LOR's, or LOE's according to AADSAS) from professors was the source of quite a bit of stress. Coming from a giant public institution like Berkeley, my science classes almost always had 100+ people, even into my upperdiv classes.
Forums/pre-dent advice sites tend to say that you should start being proactive about getting letters during your freshman or sophomore year, and honestly, I think that's a bunch of bologna. Unless you are not a science major and will not be able to get letters from a prof unless its in your first two years, don't stress yourself out too much about getting them so early. (**Also, for people who are not science majors, i know some dental schools don't ask for multiple science prof LOR's if you are not a science major, and rather, ask for a LOR from your specific major instead. It's different for every school!!**)
Why you may ask? Several reasons.
1) Whatever commentary your professor can provide about you when you were a freshman/sophomore may have completely changed by the time you're applying as a junior/senior/graduate.
2) The lower div science classes that we take as underclassmen have soo many people (I'm talking 300-400 people) that it's really difficult/stressful to get noticed. Plus, Cal is full of competitive people, and I'm sure we've all been in the awkward office hour where students are obviously trying to win their prof's favor by asking annoyingly specific/smarty-pants questions.
3) Getting a rec letter from someone when you are more advanced in your learning will probably mean a better interaction between you and your prof, and subsequently, a better LOR.
So now.. I reveal to you, FIVE SIMPLE STEPS TO A GREAT LOR.
1) Figure out where you're going to get your LOR's as you're planning your class schedule. For example, when I was entering my senior year, I knew that I needed to get 2 LOR's by graduation, and intentionally spent more time on these classes to get the best grades that I could, and make time for that professor's office hours. I also took my PI's class so that his LOR could count as a science prof as well.
2) Do your best in that class and go to office hours. You need to give your prof's something to write about. Sometimes, it helps to ask your prof if you could meet at a separate time, just so they get a chance to remember your name/face (you can say that you can't make the office hours for that week and would like to schedule another meeting, or that you have more specific questions). Just remember, professors were all students too, and they understand the struggle you're going through. Don't be nervous/shy - just ask what you want to, and be genuine. The prof's who wrote my LOR's are all extremely interesting and insightful people, and it was a great opportunity to tap into a source of wisdom.
3) Ask for the letter. Once you feel that you know your prof well enough/your class is over, here's the chance to request your LOR. Here's an example of an email that I would send to my professors. You can just look over the points, and hopefully it gives an idea of what to say in these types of emails.
SUBJECT: Requesting Letter of Recommendation
Dear Prof. Kathleen,
I just wanted to thank you for a great semester; I learned so much about crafting and inverted spray bottles through your cerealparty.blogspot.com class (shameless plug), and am interested in studying this further in the future. After your class, I learned to approach problems with a crafting-style of thinking, which I know I can apply to my pursuits in dental school.
I was also very encouraged by your style of teaching, and appreciate all of the time you spent helping me through my struggles in this class, and giving me advice for my future.
As you know, I am applying to (dental/medical/optometry) school this coming 2013 cycle, and would be honored if you could write me a letter of recommendation in support of my dental school applications. If you are willing, please let me know when would be a convenient time to meet with you.
Thank you again, etc.
Best,
Rachel
4) If all goes well and your prof agrees,
set up a time to meet, and bring the following documents in a folder/manila envelope:
- Transcript (unofficial is fine)
- MCAT/DAT/OAT scores (if you have them at the time, if not no worries)
- Resume
- Any forms necessary for your letter service (Career Center for Cal students)
- A personal statement that you may have started drafting OR a document that answers some questions about yourself (I did the latter, and answered the questions listed below)
- Contact Info (Name, email address, phone number, class taken with prof, grade)
- Why do you want to be a dentist, and what are your motivations?
- What makes your application "different", what do you think I need to write about that will be most helpful?
- Briefly list your volunteer work
- Apart from the volunteer work above, what have you done to convince the schools you are applying to that you are dedicated to your career choice?
- Are there any ways in which your student career has been "unusual"?
- Have you taken the MCAT/DAT/OAT, etc? If so, what was your score?
When you hand this packet to your professor, tell them that you understand how time-consuming and difficult the LOR writing process can be, and that you want to support them as much as you can by providing them with all the information possible. Let them know if there is anything specific that you would like them to address (they will probably ask you this).
5) Follow up and check in on the status of LOR's with your prof. Use your judgement to make sure you're not toe-ing the line of annoyance when asking about it though. Ooh, and once it's in, a thank you card is definitely in order :) That's it!
These steps should help you get the best LOR possible, while making this process as painless as possible for your prof. Good luck, let us know if you need any help :)
:) rachel
