How Many Recommendation Letters Should You Request from One Professor?

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When seeking recommendation letters from a professor, it's important to consider the number of schools you are applying to and the relationship you have with the professor. In this discussion, a community college student is contemplating how many recommendation letters to request from their physics professor while applying to six different schools. The consensus suggests that asking for recommendations for all six schools is reasonable, as professors often write similar letters with minor adjustments for each institution. It’s noted that professors may not have specific insights about each school, making it common for them to provide generalized support across multiple applications. Overall, six letters are deemed appropriate and not intrusive, especially given a good rapport with the professor.
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Hey all, I have a quick question about asking for recommendations. I wanted to know what's an appropriate amount of recommendation letters from one professor?

I am currently at a community college and have a good relation with the lone physics professor, and am searching for where to finish my degree. I have about 6 schools in mind, except I don't want to seem intrusive and push him to write recommendations for all 6. So what, in your opinion, would be a reasonable amount to ask for?
 
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MarsVolta said:
Hey all, I have a quick question about asking for recommendations. I wanted to know what's an appropriate amount of recommendation letters from one professor?

I am currently at a community college and have a good relation with the lone physics professor, and am searching for where to finish my degree. I have about 6 schools in mind, except I don't want to seem intrusive and push him to write recommendations for all 6. So what, in your opinion, would be a reasonable amount to ask for?

All three of my professors recommended me for each of my schools. All the letters are the same, they basically just change the name of the school they are recommending you for.
 
Yup. It's unlikely that the professor will intimately know the school you are applying to, so he can't really say "He'll be good for your school because XYZ" and somehow list different reasons for a different school

All 3 of my professors are recommending me to each of the schools I'm applying to as well.
 
6 letters is not at all an unreasonable amount.
 
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