How can non-traditional premed & online students obtain letters of recommendation?

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding how one should obtain letters of recommendation when many classes have moved online. While this is challenging, it can absolutely be done. How do I know? I’ve taught face-to-face and online classes for 12 years and regularly write letters for students in both. Most of my online students have tended to be career changers and non-traditional.

My students who have been successful with getting letters have been the ones who have been proactive about attending my Zoom office hours, calling me, or emailing me questions about their assignments. In particular, I always enjoy it when a student emails me to ask how they can improve on their work even if they are already scoring top marks in the class. They’ve used the opportunity to speak about assignments to develop a connection. I’ve had other students review my faculty profile to read about my research interests and then attempt to make a connection, via email or phone, that way.

I realize that some faculty are not as approachable in the online environment as they are face-to-face (hell, some are just not approachable under any circumstances!) but you, as the student, have to be more proactive seeking what you need from your faculty. I’ve always told my online students that I’m getting paid to ensure that they are getting the same service that my face-to-face students are getting; make me earn my pay. Reach out. You’ll find that most professors won’t mind and most will willingly write letters of recommendation (I can say this as a student who has also had strong letters written by several faculty who I’ve taken online classes from).

The other question that I’ve seen is if you have been out of school for awhile, how do you ask a previous professor to write a letter for you? What I did this cycle was this (keep in mind that I graduated from ASU in May 2010):

I had two science professors who I’d known fairly well in undergrad and I’d done well in their classes. I sent them both an introductory email reminding them of who I was, what grade I’d earned in their classes, what I’d been doing in the years since graduation, and the reason for my request. I attached a copy of my undergrad transcript, my grad school transcript (so that they could see my academic performance to date), my CV, and my medical school personal statement. I closed with an offer to meet over Zoom so that they could ask any questions that they might have and interview me further regarding my motivations to practice medicine. One of my former professors wrote back saying that he remembered me and asked me to write a letter that he would put on letterhead and sign and submit to Interfolio. The other professor set up a Zoom with me and we chatted for about two hours on June 8th. Not only did she write me a super strong letter, she gave me some advice that helped to advance my dissertation research!

My grandmother always told me that a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. You also will miss every free throw that you don’t attempt. These are imperfect times and you have to roll with what you have. Reach out to your faculty, strive to build a relationship, and you’ll get what you need.