Getting in to graduate school

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I'm a senior and I am interested in graduate school. However, it sounds incredibly hard to get into. The thing that concerns me the most are recommendations. I, of course, do not know any of my instructors at all, and have never talked with them regarding things not directly related to the classes. In fact, I don't think I've actually had a real conversation with one yet. No one from my family has ever gotten in (or even tried to do so) so I did not have people coaching me along either.

If I could get in, I am sure that I could at least get the minimum required grades or probably above in the classes and stuff. That is what angers me regarding graduate school though, I think I could get a masters if given a chance, but I don't think I will get in anyway. This is something I've wanted to do for 12 years now btw. Naturally, I was focused on the content of the study, rather than all the other stuff like socializing with instructors and that sort of thing, which, evidently, is the only thing that actually matters!

I'm tearing my hair out over grad school this very moment. For recommendation letters, just figure out which classes in undergrad you did the best in, that you also enjoyed the most. The profs will likely remember you to some degree for those reasons alone. Go in and talk to them about it, and they'll quite possibly be happy to help. Classes that are writing intensive work well, because even if you didn't talk with the prof much, they'll get a feel for who you are and what you're about from your work. (Assuming they ever look at the work of students, rather than handing it off to grad student TAs.) If you've done any undergraduate research, that's a good choice as well.

For my recommendation letters (what felt like the easiest part of applying, believe it or not) I talked to the prof for my physical chemistry labs, the prof I've done research for (and also taken a grad level class from), and the prof I had a class in this last semester that I really enjoyed, and got an A in.

The first one, he wrote "best in class, you can do better" on the packet of lab reports he handed back to me, so I figured he'd give a good, honest "Has potential, could utilize it better" response. I also addressed that in personal statements requested in the application process, saying I'd had a hard time applying myself, and the various reasons why, and that all that's better. (I'm hoping that's more truth and less bluff / lie to myself.)

The second, for starters he's a great guy that doesn't think I can do any wrong, he's real human about things, telling me that if I've got things to deal with that prevent me from doing research, that's ok (from the extremes, friend in a coma to petty s**t in my daily life), etc. The whole graduate level class thing probably helped too.

The third, he loved my writing. He got a good sense of who I was and what I was about because, well, we only had six assignments in the class (senior seminar), and they were all essays. 2 essay tests, 4 papers with due dates.

Don't worry if you didn't socialize much with them. The prof for the labs, I didn't really socialize with him more than responding (or trying not to for his horrible / offensive / perverted, and yet amusing, jokes) to him if he spoke to me. As long as they had some way of getting to know you, even indirect, they should be willing to write a good letter. Also, profs that don't think they can write a good letter for you will often tell you that ahead of time. To them it is a waste of their time if they can't write a "good" one, so they'll flat out tell you, hoping you'll go elsewhere.

Past that, as long as your GRE scores are good and your GPA is above a 3.5, you don't have a lot to worry about in my opinion.

if it helps...

i think A LOT of undergrad letters of reccomendation are kinda impersonal...

i'm sure all those professors write a million of em a year

just pick the ones whose class you did well in

i'm sure they'll like you!

it also helps to type up a little something with your education goals... like what interests you and such... that way, you're GIVING them a little to go on too.

Problem is, I have two majors and I completed all the classes in one of them over a year ago now. I'm interested in getting an MA in that first major and I'm sure that none of the professors would remember me, because it has been over a year...

One thing I did when I asked for recommendations was attach a copy of my resume. I also mentioned what program I was applying for and why. What I did was call and leave voicemails and then email everyone with more detailed information. I called because I was told I should ask in person or by phone and I sent emails because that was a better way for me to get information across, and quite frankly most the professors I know prefer to communicate through email rather than random phone conversations- I am the same way. I also offered to take them out for coffee or something and catch them up. Everyone said they would write letters (phew) and the one prof who knows me really well also asked for a copy of my statement of interest to help tailor the letter.

I think I am the most nervous about my GPA- I only have a 3.0 and I'm adressing that briefly in the personal statement (in college I was dx with a learning disability, developed fibromyalgia, and narcolepsy. I was happy just to make it to class!) and how encountering the difficulties I have has made me apreciate different aspects of the field.

Another thing you could do is take a course or two as an academic outreach student or something in the field you are interested in. That way you can demonstrate you can handle a class in it and also find another person to write you a letter.

Since you indicated that you didn't really talk to your professors, trying to get letters of recommendation from them might not be a good idea.

I think that even though you want to pursue a Master's degree in the subject area of your first major, it would be still worthwhile to get letters from professors in your second major... that is, if you had talked to them and they have a good sense of your work ethic and abilities and goals and such.

Otherwise, you might want to consider holding off on applying for graduate school, and getting some work experience first. Then in 2-4 years, take a look again at graduate school as a viable option for furthering your career goals. By doing this option, you will be able to develop your sense of your field of interest, and you will have a more realistic idea of what life will be like as a professional in that field. In addition it will further demonstrate your commitment to your field and will have a very favorable impression on graduate school admission committees.

Oh, you didn't say what fields you wanted to go into?

I also did two undergraduate majors (Chemistry and Genetics), and worked for 4 years before returning to graduate school. I got two of my letters of recommendation from my bosses, and one from a professor in whose lab I had worked during my junior and senior years as an undergrad. Thus, it had been 3-4 years since I last had significant contact with that professor, and he still remembered me. I'm in a Ph.D. program at Yale now, so I think I must've done something right in the admissions process. I remember, the head of the program I was admitted to told me that he really liked that I had so much work experience, and told me up front that he felt that I had an advantage over other graduate students, in that I had a good impression of the realities of being a molecular biologist/geneticist, and that I had already proven my commitment to my field.

Thanks for the responses.

quiet,

your experience sounds a lot like what I am going through this week and this very evening. I almost thought about not applying to a good program just because it required letters of recommendation. I was a physics and political science major at a very challenging school for the sciences so my grades were never good. I would have done great anywhere else, but that's another story. Mediocre (but not bad!) physics grades combined with painful shyness in a large program with professors that approached godliness meant I never got to know my professors and had a lot of difficulty approaching them. I never had this problem with political science just because it was impossible to be a nobody in that program. I didnt apply for grad school during my undergrad because I didn't know what I wanted to do (ended up going with aerospace engineering). So here I am applying for grad school this week. I spent the last hour belaboring over an email that I have put off for a month (because of fear) to a prof for a class I loved but took a year and a half ago. He probably only remembers me because it was a small class...



If you feel like you might not be ready for grad school or you won't be able to get into a program you want, then there are several good reasons for going into the job market first.

Aside from not knowing what I wanted to study, I put off grad school mainly until after I had a job and had cultivated relationships with colleagues or managers who could better advocate on my behalf. I believe grad schools prefer students with a little bit of work experience because they have experiences/knowledge to add to the classroom and they are usually more sure of what they want to study. There are opportunities for people with B.As in history and political science especially in the DC area, so if you feel you might not be ready for grad school there are good opportunities in government and industry. I come across a lot of people in my line of work that have backgrounds like you.