Who to ask for 3rd recommendation letter?

[fiveier.analysis]

I have had a decent amount of math courses but honestly having a hard time as to who to ask for recommendation letters. I don't really go to any of their office hours since I understood the material and did relatively well so I didn't see the point of doing so ... I did't like the idea of "schmoozing" up to them just for the sake of asking for their letters or connections down the road later, call me dogmatic ignorant or arrogant if you must, maybe I was a bit immature.

Anywho ... the 1st letter for me will come from my undergrad advisor. At my school each student is assigned a faculty advisor alongside a department secretary/advisor. I've talked to him numerous times for advice in applying to grad school, courses to take and what to do in summer, he also taught me advanced calculus and linear algebra. The 2nd letter will come from my thesis advisor who also taught me topology and algebraic topology. Our relation is relatively new since I only took topology last spring and algebraic topology this fall.

As to the 3rd letter I have couple choices, and they taught me different math courses but honestly nothing more than that. What should I do and how should go about choosing who to ask out of them?

[mathph]

This is what I would do because I'm in a similar predicament:

If more than 2 candidates for the third letter, pick the best 2; if only 2, submit both.

[fiveier.analysis]

Not every school allows >3 letters to be submitted though

[anticategories]

I would ask 3rd and 4th letter writers, in the most direct way possible, whether they can write you a strong letter

[fiveier.analysis]

I don't have the courage to ask them this directly or indirectly

[mathph]

Well then maybe apply to half of your schools with ABC and then the other half with ABD?

[anticategories]

Well then maybe apply to half of your schools with ABC and then the other half with ABD?

LOL pro tip

And then draw the conclusion that D wrote you a bad letter if (% acceptances of schools with letters A+B+C) > 2 * (% acceptances of schools with letters A+B+D)

[fiveier.analysis]

unfrotunately I'm not rich enough to apply to that many schools to have a viable data set

[mathph]

unfrotunately I'm not rich enough to apply to that many schools to have a viable data set

Now that you mention it I just realize this is gonna take more money than I expected, the UCs are like 135 each?! I'm gonna be super broke after this

Also sending GRE scores is 20 some dollars per school, and ETS is a non-profit?! That's literally highway robbery

[anticategories]

unfrotunately I'm not rich enough to apply to that many schools to have a viable data set

Now that you mention it I just realize this is gonna take more money than I expected, the UCs are like 135 each?! I'm gonna be super broke after this

Also sending GRE scores is 20 some dollars per school, and ETS is a non-profit?! That's literally highway robbery

According to ProPublica [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprof ... /210634479]

They paid their executives 17 million dollars in compensation in both 2021 and 2020

There's only 9 executives currently according to the ETS website [https://www.ets.org/about/who/leadership.html], so base on that fact they each get paid 2 millions + base salary per year.

Disgusting. Non-profit my feet.

Sometimes I don't understand why some people just have to be so greedy and make contribution of measure zero to the society, besides spending a lot of money to boost the economy.

[fiveier.analysis]

unfrotunately I'm not rich enough to apply to that many schools to have a viable data set

Now that you mention it I just realize this is gonna take more money than I expected, the UCs are like 135 each?! I'm gonna be super broke after this

Also sending GRE scores is 20 some dollars per school, and ETS is a non-profit?! That's literally highway robbery

Luckily my parents are footing the bill, and some schools are giving me waivers after I called or emailed to express interest (female).

So yes if you're a gal, try emailing or calling the dept to see if you can get a fee waiver, especially the southern and midwestern ones. doesn't hurt to try even if they don't give them out

[fiveier.analysis]

unfrotunately I'm not rich enough to apply to that many schools to have a viable data set

Now that you mention it I just realize this is gonna take more money than I expected, the UCs are like 135 each?! I'm gonna be super broke after this

Also sending GRE scores is 20 some dollars per school, and ETS is a non-profit?! That's literally highway robbery

According to ProPublica [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprof ... /210634479]

They paid their executives 17 million dollars in compensation in both 2021 and 2020

There's only 9 executives currently according to the ETS website [https://www.ets.org/about/who/leadership.html], so base on that fact they each get paid 2 millions + base salary per year.

Disgusting. Non-profit my feet.

Sometimes I don't understand why some people just have to be so greedy and make contribution of measure zero to the society, besides spending a lot of money to boost the economy.

I can imagine that on their resume or when they were interviewed these executives will say somewhere along the line "I dedicated my life to make testing easier and cheaper for students so they can go to college/grad school of their dreams."

I don't think Nobel prize winners even get half a million per year, these non-profit executive i.e. your local hospital/university hospital, red cross, bunch of others are more disgusting than corporation executives. At least these corporations don't hide the fact that they are ripping consumers and their own employees off to maximize profit.

Uhhh well I guess it's our choice to choose to go to grad school instead of scamming people to get rich.

[mathph]

As I am submitting applications and sending GRE scores (paying $$$$), I realize most schools don't require official GRE scores until they accept you and then you intend to enroll.

So that's some money saved, not much but helps a little.