Recommendations from professors you chat with (rather than do research with)

[Simfish]

Are these types of recommendations common? Can they be extremely helpful?

Here's the thing: when you do research, you're not really talking about the big picture - you're merely in for the small details. I'm more of a "big picture" person than a "small details" person, and most of my insights come from the "big picture".

But if you simply chat with a professor maybe weekly (or even just once in a while), you could talk with him about things that are more big picture. Most of the time, those chats won't prove your "genius" or analytical ability (you can rely on other recommendations for that). But they can prove that you have the ability to see the big picture very well. They can also prove that you have a *real* passion for the field (which is often important, since many grad students come in without having much passion, and then are more susceptible to dropping out). It's also quite possible that professors might see a problem in their grad students not seeing the "big picture" very well. I don't know, but I actually find it hard to talk to my fellow undergrads in astrophysics precisely because few of them seem to care much about the big picture.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I don't think this is helpful. First, science is not done by "looking at the big picture". It's done by getting down and dirty in the details. Second, passion, shmassion. There are lots of people who say they are really passionate about science - but their interest fades when they have to calibrate a thousand sensors.

 

[Dougggggg]

I had a conversation with a Biology professor who is also the head of our math and science department. I don't think it will be a reference but he said some things that helped give a boost of confidence. I was sitting outside of a class waiting for it to end because I had left my calculator in there during the class right before it. I just basically struck up conversation in a casual manner and we talked. I mentioned that I was double majoring in Math and Physics, to which he responded that those are the 2 toughest majors in that department. We continued to chat, I talked about why I like those subjects and such. I mentioned that I was going to graduate school for one of the 2 eventually though I am undecided on which. He said something to the extent of: I've been around academia for many years now and I have a good eye for who will do well, in briefly talking to you I can already tell that you have what it takes to do it. I was beyond flattered to hear that from someone I had just met. However, for a reference? No, he may remember my name and face but he hasn't seen my abilities at all.

Kinda slid further from the OP question, sorry about that.