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Letter of Reference question

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:08 pm
by bxbdhdj
So one professor sent me an invitation to be his PhD in a small university out of the U.S. However, I am not so interested in the research he is doing and the country is not my type. So I want to kindly reject it. However, since he gave the offer, I assume that he had a high opinion on me and thus I am also considering asking for a letter from him. Do you guys think this is appropriate? I mean rejecting him first and then asking for letters.

He is a young professor and I did not do much with him actually, just taking a class and doing some reading. I did not think of him as an candidate for referencer before he contacted me for that. Pretty surprised as well. But now I am sort of short in letters.

Re: Letter of Reference question

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:20 pm
by chrisps1992
A letter of recommendation has to come from someone who has worked with you firsthand for a significant amount of time. Most letters come with a form that asks the writer to compare you with your peers, so it is meaningless for someone who doesn’t know you that well to write a letter for you.