achoo!

bless u.

thnx

rlly

by grad student you mean a teacher's assistant, right? if so, i would advise against asking a t.a. for a letter when applying to grad school. ask a real professor for a letter, and the professor will ask the t.a. for any necessary info.

but for some reason most of my profs won't respond to me when i ask them if they could write a letter for me. they have their heads up their asses and can't be bothered to take time out of their own work.

also, i had another question: if the t.a. wrote a much better letter than a prof would write, would it balance it out? or would it be seen as mumbo jumbo? if it would be seen as mumbo jumbo just because it's from a t.a., what's with the elitist attitude of the admission committee?

it's not an essay contest. they're looking for credibility in the three people willing to vouch for you. you need to sit down, write your essay (yes, i see your other posts regarding this component, but just do it) and share it with potential recommenders. convince them why you want to go, and why they might be willing to support you in getting there.

OKAY BUT THAT'S A LITTLE HARD SINCE THEY WON'T ANSWER ME IN THE FIRST PLACE LOL.

HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND? BRIBERY? SEX?

ALSO SINCE I'VE ALREADY EMAILED MOST OF MY POTENTIAL RECOMMENDERS AND MOST OF THEM DID NOT RESPOND OR SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "MEH" (AND I'M NOT EMAILING THE "MEH" PEOPLE AGAIN BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THEM), HOW WOULD I GO BACK TO RECONTACTING THEM? SHOULD I WRITE "HEY YOU IGNORED MY FIRST EMAIL, NOW LISTEN UP BITCH, I NEED A LETTER OR I'LL FUCKING COME DOWN TO YOUR HOUSE AND PULL YOUR INTESTINES OUT WITH MY FINGERNAILS AND WRAP IT AROUND YOUR NECK AND CHOKE YOU AND THEN SMASH YOUR GENITALS WITH A HAMMER." ??? OR WHAT? IDEAS????

okay, for starters, don't email them in all caps.

also (and i can't believe i'm about to slap the hand of a kid trying to get into grad school)...maybe you've rubbed them the wrong way, pretty much like you're doing to everyone on this board. if so, now's the time to eat your humble pie, make amends and be honest with them regarding your future plans.

another also...if you think this application process is tough, just wait for the real thing.

I never rubbed them the wrong way, I gave them a massage fit for a king, genitals and all. I told them how inspiration they were and asked them politely if they would be willing to write a letter for me. The truth is, the nature of the professors depends a lot on where you go to school, and the professors at this school (where research is prioritized over teaching) generally don't give 2 shits about the students.

thanks for not shouting.

have you kept in good contact with these folks? do they remember you or know enough about your interests to write a letter for you? it's always good to keep your foot in the door with former professors, mentors, etc. if not, this is even more reason why i suggest sending a rough draft of your statement of intent.

this one page is tough for everyone, i promise. if it were easy, then this process would be a cake walk and everyone would dive in. i agonized over what i would write for weeks and then when actually starting to write it, agonized over every sentence. honestly, you've just got to sit down and write...in the very least, to start formulating some ideas. send the rough draft or outline to the people you're requesting letters from; show them why you would value attending or returning to school.

if you are in the same city as these professors, i would go to their offices and ask in person. if not, write another email asking them to politely respond (either yes, i will write or no, i will not).

A letter from a grad student/TA won't hurt you, but it sure won't help you. (Committee members will think, "Ah, one of the applicant's buddies..." before they set it aside.)

So, go ahead and include it, but DO NOT use it to count toward the three (or however many) minimum letters by professors and employers (and others in authority who you probably AREN'T buddies with) the schools want to see.

As for the finer points of getting letters from real faculty you don't like, who don't like you, who are unresponsive, etcetera... a much, much tougher task.

HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND? BRIBERY? SEX?

No, just some humility, respect, and advance planning.

citizen, thank you.
i knew well before i graduated that i would need to get ref letters for grad school.
everyone should have known that.
among being a decent person and having real valid interest, it's important to keep connections alive and fruitful.
it's too late for hankd but advice to anyone still in school that thinks they possibly might want to go to grad school: kissing a little ass can't hurt.

^ if you saw my email, you would see that i kissed ass.

also, i'm not sure where the fuck you guys are going to school, but 99.9% of the students at my school don't hang out with their professors. that's just not something we do here. it's out of the norm (here) and the vast majority of professors at this school are belligerent to even have to meet anyone during office hours (some of them skip office hours).

and, regarding the claims here about grad students' letters being helpless and/or hurtful, NONE of you even bothered providing any evidence for your claim, not even a measly anecdote, much less statements from authoritative sources such as admission committee members. seems like a bunch of b.s. to me, so thanks for nothing lol

lol...

have you looked at the admissions website of these grad schools? they frequently suggest asking professors and employers. it's common sense, really. you don't ask a premed student their for professional opinion, or even a TA. You go to a doctor. go ahead and ask a grad student, but they won't be taken as seriously as someone with more authority, expertise, and experience.

if the best you can get out of anyone is a "meh" than it's probably not them, it's you. it might be worth taking another year to work and nurture some professional relationships, maybe take an extension course at a local college/university

i think you should disclose where you go to school. then i can know to avoid it in applying to grad schools, or at least be aware.

I left school for a few years because quite frankly I was burnt out, I switched majors and so I was in school longer than most people and needed a break from it. So I've returned after 5 years off and am getting near graduation (hopefully), and I would like to keep the possibility of going to grad school open.

My problem is that most of the studios were from 2000-2002, so most of the professors who knew any of my design work have long forgotten me. I do have a studio professor this semester I could ask, but we haven't been graded on anything this semester yet (we've only had one project, the first have was finishing the last studio's project), so I have no idea what he thinks of my work. I do know the current department chair who I had for 2 of my earlier studios, he seemed to like my work back then, and I think he remembers me.

But should I email old professors samples of the work I did in their studio with my personal essay and ask them to write me a letter?

Do letters from studio professors carry more weight than, say, someone who taught a lecture?

Oh, since I haven't gotten a degree yet, I haven't been able to get any professional experience. Given the current economy I doubt I would get an architecture job with only a 4 year degree.

mil: ask your former professors if you can meet with them to talk about grad school apps, and depending on how your conversation goes, slip in the part about recs at the end.

since you do have studio experience, i would think at least one letter should be from a studio instructor. that said, if a lecturer knows you well/is reputable in the field, that letter would carry weight as well. it really depends on the situation at hand.