Letters of Recommendation from Teachers Who Don't Remember Me.

So I took my LSAT's last Saturday. That is part of the reason I have not blogged any blogs recently. I've spent a solid month and a half being relatively studious and devoting time to develop possible schooling paths and not pursuing other less fruitful hobbies. But it's over now! Or at least it seems like it. Next week I'll be looking at schools to apply to and hitting up old professors for letters of recommendation. Which seems grossly irrelevant and tedious, but a friend of mine said that unless you are damn near a decade out of school, you need to have a letter of recommendation from a professor from your college. I am only halfway to the decade mark, so I guess I'll be killing two birds with one icy snowball when I visit my hometown of Minneapolis later this month. I figure this involves sending out a few emails to first test the waters with college professors. Something harmless enough to make them curious enough to see how their former student has made out in the cold cruel world.

" Hi (fill in the blank professor),
I am going to be visiting Minnesota soon for the holidays soon and..."

Of course they'll read it as blah blah blah trying to figure out who the hell I am:
Who is this Flower kid? ... Marketing class? I had like seventy-five students that year. Presentation on Russell Simmons... GOT IT. He wore the Colt45 shirt to the presentation. Yeah, I remember him. Why not go meet him for a coffee/beer.
(side note - I did wear a colt45 shirt to a presentation on Def Jam/Phat Farm. It was a damn good presentation too)

So I figure the ambush of a letter of recommendation has to be tactful and manipulative. Both things I am very poor at. I tend to be very blunt. The smart approach would be something like this:

Professor X: Thanks for the beer. So California huh? Tell me all about it.
Me: Well I wanted to broaden my horizons and grow up a little outside of the Midwest and found some great work experience in Fox and DirecTV's advertising departments. Ultimately I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in law. I just took my LSAT's and am starting to apply for law school at schools a, b, and c.
Prof X: That's very good! Sounds like you have it all figured out.
Me: Thanks! I want to let you know that you were an important part of my intellectual and professional development and it would be an honor if you would do me the favor of writing me a letter of recommendation.
Prof X: Of course I will!

Knowing me though, I'll lose all composure and turn into my usual blunt and honest self.

Prof X: So California huh?
Me: Yeah, I quit my job at DirecTV cause I hated L.A. I quit a job in the middle of a recession. I serve coffee now. I serve coffee dammit!
Prof X: Oh...barista huh?
Me: I'm applying for law school. You need to give me a letter of recommendation. I need this. I NEED THIS!!!
Prof X: You need to take your hands of my collar and stop shaking me. You're scaring me.

Optimistically, I'll win them over with my colorful description of my post-college experiences and flatter them with admiration. I'll take a pity recommendation if it comes down to it though.

First I'll have to figure out what schools I can get into with my LSAT score, then pick some schools to apply to over my week and a half trip home. I'll also have to do this while undergoing a gauntlet of visiting family, married friends, and unmarried friends in the frosty tundra that is my hometown. But that's another blog for another time.