Will professors ever refuse to write a letter for a student with an A?

nanotechnology
Tue, 04 Aug 2015 02:01:58 +0000

I actually had a relevant conversation today with a professor I’m doing research with. Every year he gets asked to write about 30 letters of recommendation. About 90% of those are apparently students who never came to office hours or asked questions in class. I was very surprised by this, but if the requests your professor receives are anything like this, you are already in the 90th percentile.

Also, since you aren’t sure he knows you well, be sure to provide him with plenty of information (like your CV and draft of your personal statement). If you do choose to ask by email, offer to meet in person to discuss your interests/goals/experience so he can get a better sense what to write.