Recomendation Letters

[JimM]

I am currently applying for the fall 2011 Award. The award will be for my Junior/Senior Years. I currently work full time and have been very successful in my current career. I do not have any research experience to speak of.

After a little background, my question is with regards to the letters of recommendation. I have two letters from teachers at my school. One letter I believe will be good the other I am concerned about (Math professor - Not a writer). I also have a letter coming from someone I have worked with for about 7 years. Would it be better to include the work reference and the one professor reference or both of the professor's references? To add to the problem... the letter I think will be better is actually from a professor I have only known for one semester. I have taken several classes with the math professor.

[Guest]

I would do one work and one academic, actually, that is what I'm doing. I figure that we aren't just applying for a scholarship, but also for a job so having an employer reference letter lets the SMART people know that you can succeed in both academic and professional environments. That's just my opinion though. Good luck!

[Guest]

I'm not sure if the application has changed, but from what I recall the letters of recommendation had to be from someone that is familiar with you in terms of the "field" you're applying under. If you're applying as anything other then a mathematician the letter from the math professor isn't worth much, and if you haven't been working in your "field" then the letter from your employer is moot also.

[JimM]

I didn't take it that way...

" References should be scientists, engineers, faculty members, or others who have current or recent knowledge of your academic accomplishments or your professional experiences."

I didn't take the application to be limited to those already in there field of work. Wouldn't that eliminate undergrads?

[Chris Moulder]

Anyone that knows you from a professional or academic background is good.

A well written letter is always a plus, but as long as it's positive, I would not worry about it unless you're afraid that it will be horrible. I think a test case could be: Did their homework questions generally use decent grammar?

[RUchemE]

I got mine from a professor of one of my major classes and the Dean. I knew I was going to apply for the scholarship since the beginning of the semester last year so I stopped into their office hours, introduced myself and told them about the scholarship, and then kept coming back a few times so they'd remember me. I actually told them the first time I met with them that i'd be eventually looking for a letter, as a heads up.