How did you plan out SOP/LOR for graduate school?

**Axion004** · 08-03-2012, 07:39 AM

I'm just curious- my complete lack of social skills makes me pose the question:

Who do I ask to write a letter of recommendation? My professors or someone from where I work?

**Silverity** · 08-03-2012, 04:03 PM

Generally for grad school you're looking to ask your profs, but if the type of program you're going into is clinical/lab work and you have outside experience in those things you could ask an employer.

**Merle** · 08-05-2012, 09:20 AM

If it's an academic, rather than a 'practical'/'professional' program then you should definitely ask professors.

If it is something professional, like teaching/social work, etc then asking a relevant employer can be more useful (but they'll still probably want at least one LOR from an academic POV).

As far as academic references go, I would go for the people that really know you best and have been clearly supportive of your plans to go to grad school. It's my feeling that big name profs are all well and good, and might help at some places (I don't know, really) but if they don't know you and your work very well their references are likely to come off as impersonal and as not particularly invested in your success/failure. An LOR from someone who can point to really specific instances of achievement and which really champions you seems likely to be more effective, in my opinion...but I really don't know how all these factors play out with ad coms... does an impersonal LOR from a big name recommender trump a really enthusiastic and detailed one from someone that's not known to the committee? I have no idea...

I didn't really have much choice in the matter, since all of my recommenders were British profs and likely unknown to the committee. I got into a couple of good places and was waitlisted at my top choice. I didn't break the top ten, though - was swiftly rejected from all the tippy top places I applied. I don't think this was the result of my LORS being relatively unknown in the US... more likely it was the result of my SOP and writing sample being heavily influenced by a certain theoretical approach that I didn't realize at the time is fairly unfashionable in the states right now (in the U.K. this is not the case and my MA institution was a particular center for this approach; so, naturally my work at the time of apps was pretty x-theory inflected) and also, you know, there being far better applicants than me
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**Axion004** · 08-06-2012, 07:21 PM

I have one teacher who I can approach and ask for a letter. I may have one contact at the place where I work, I will follow up on these two sources.

08-03-2012, 07:39 AM	#1
Axion004 Member [24%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 986	I'm just curious- my complete lack of social skills makes me pose the question: Who do I ask to write a letter of recommendation? My professors or someone from where I work?
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08-03-2012, 04:03 PM	#2
Silverity Core Member [274%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 10,995	Generally for grad school you're looking to ask your profs, but if the type of program you're going into is clinical/lab work and you have outside experience in those things you could ask an employer.
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08-05-2012, 09:20 AM	#3
Merle Veteran Member [55%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,207	If it's an academic, rather than a 'practical'/'professional' program then you should definitely ask professors. If it is something professional, like teaching/social work, etc then asking a relevant employer can be more useful (but they'll still probably want at least one LOR from an academic POV). As far as academic references go, I would go for the people that really know you best and have been clearly supportive of your plans to go to grad school. It's my feeling that big name profs are all well and good, and might help at some places (I don't know, really) but if they don't know you and your work very well their references are likely to come off as impersonal and as not particularly invested in your success/failure. An LOR from someone who can point to really specific instances of achievement and which really champions you seems likely to be more effective, in my opinion...but I really don't know how all these factors play out with ad coms... does an impersonal LOR from a big name recommender trump a really enthusiastic and detailed one from someone that's not known to the committee? I have no idea... I didn't really have much choice in the matter, since all of my recommenders were British profs and likely unknown to the committee. I got into a couple of good places and was waitlisted at my top choice. I didn't break the top ten, though - was swiftly rejected from all the tippy top places I applied. I don't think this was the result of my LORS being relatively unknown in the US... more likely it was the result of my SOP and writing sample being heavily influenced by a certain theoretical approach that I didn't realize at the time is fairly unfashionable in the states right now (in the U.K. this is not the case and my MA institution was a particular center for this approach; so, naturally my work at the time of apps was pretty x-theory inflected) and also, you know, there being far better applicants than me To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. . Last edited by Merle; 08-05-2012 at 12:51 PM.
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08-06-2012, 07:21 PM	#4
Axion004 Member [24%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 986	I have one teacher who I can approach and ask for a letter. I may have one contact at the place where I work, I will follow up on these two sources.
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