- #1
srfriggen
- 306
- 5
The school I will be applying for a MA in Math requires 2 letters of recommendation.
I am currently taking an undergraduate course at that school and I was advised to certainly get a letter of recommendation from my professor there.
I have two other options from where to get the other one letter of recommendation. One is a professor that I took for Calc I, the other is a professor that I took for Calc II.
There are pros and cons for each (I think). I received the highest marks in the class in both calc I and calc II and have a great report with both professors.
The pros for my calc I teacher, I believe, is that he has a PHD and from Carnegie Mellon and has done post doc work. He also knows me well, and he even came to see my band play in a bar one night and we had a few drinks. Cons would be that I only took him for calc I (an easy course... though trust me this guy made it difficult!), and he is younger than my other professor and much less experienced with teaching (he only recently received a position at a college in Long Island).
Pros for my calc II teacher is that the course was significantly more difficult and I still excelled, she really enjoyed having me as a student (she told me it was a pleasure reading my work and having me in her class) and may write a more enthusiastic letter. She is also much older and has been teaching for much much longer than the previous mentioned professor. Cons: She does not have a PHD, but a Masters in Math from Queens College in NY. I do not think she has published anything significant, where as my other professor... well that's his "job", so he told me.
I have never had to approach a professor for a letter of recommendation. Is it normal to be able to read the letter first before it is sent to the school or would my previous professors send them directly? if the former then I will ask for letters from both of them and submit the one I feel presents a stronger case for me.
thoughts?
I am currently taking an undergraduate course at that school and I was advised to certainly get a letter of recommendation from my professor there.
I have two other options from where to get the other one letter of recommendation. One is a professor that I took for Calc I, the other is a professor that I took for Calc II.
There are pros and cons for each (I think). I received the highest marks in the class in both calc I and calc II and have a great report with both professors.
The pros for my calc I teacher, I believe, is that he has a PHD and from Carnegie Mellon and has done post doc work. He also knows me well, and he even came to see my band play in a bar one night and we had a few drinks. Cons would be that I only took him for calc I (an easy course... though trust me this guy made it difficult!), and he is younger than my other professor and much less experienced with teaching (he only recently received a position at a college in Long Island).
Pros for my calc II teacher is that the course was significantly more difficult and I still excelled, she really enjoyed having me as a student (she told me it was a pleasure reading my work and having me in her class) and may write a more enthusiastic letter. She is also much older and has been teaching for much much longer than the previous mentioned professor. Cons: She does not have a PHD, but a Masters in Math from Queens College in NY. I do not think she has published anything significant, where as my other professor... well that's his "job", so he told me.
I have never had to approach a professor for a letter of recommendation. Is it normal to be able to read the letter first before it is sent to the school or would my previous professors send them directly? if the former then I will ask for letters from both of them and submit the one I feel presents a stronger case for me.
thoughts?