Letters of Recommendation - how do they work these days?

[oneday_nursepoundcake]

I'm trying to organize myself to start applying to several ABSN programs over the summer/fall while finishing up pre-requisites. The schools all have varying requirements, different application dates/different online application portal-type systems (and it's been over 20 years since I've applied to a serious college program before).

As my current semester wraps up, this seems like a good time to talk to professors about letters of recommendation. I gather this no longer means getting an actual, written letter from the professor that *you* hand in with your application -- it's more like the professor has to log in to some system to make this happen.

Some questions this brings up - would welcome any input. Thanks:

- If the online application opens in September, do you just try to talk to the professor and hope he/she will remember you in the fall when you check back in with all the log-in details? Profs at my school are notoriously difficult to connect with by mail, or in general. You basically have to catch them after class and pounce, which sucks, and not sure what happens when you no longer have class with them.

- Most folks are probably applying to multiple schools -- do you really have to ask professors to access all these multiple systems and do recommend you? I can't imagine asking someone to do that.

- Is getting an actual, printed-out letter of recco even a thing anymore at some places?

[jfast]

First, in general, there are many ABSN programs that don't even do recommendations anymore. Many only really care about your grades (and possibly test scores). I would recommend making a list of schools that you think might be worthwhile to apply to for your ABSN and then investigate each to see how many actually require the recommendations before stressing about them too much.

For how to approach professors, I would recommend catching them after class at some point as you mention. I would just let them know your intentions to do nursing and would truly appreciate their support when the time comes for your application. Let them know you will be contacting them at that time (and try to give them a window of when that will be). Then, when you actually need them to complete something, you can remind them that you had asked about it (and of course, you appreciate their willingness still).

For your second question, I would again recommend checking a list of schools you could see yourself applying to and seeing just how many require recommendations. It might be less than you are expecting. Some schools use https://www.nursingcas.org/ to help "centralize" applications and that could also help you in this process (though it usually also means additional cost through that service).

As for actual letters, I would imagine it is pretty rare that places seek those out. Many places have their admissions process down to a science and the variability that letters provide does not fit into their calculated efforts.

[oneday_nursepoundcake]

Thanks, jfast! Good recommendations. Yeah, it doesn't seem like the public programs (of which there aren't many of were I live, unfortunately) don't care about anything but GPA. But I'm definitely seeing the letter thing for the private programs.

[softclouds]

I got letter of recommendation from my Physiology professor, organic chemistry professor, and psychology professor. It will be great if you can do extraordinary well in the class, so they will write a strong letter for you. And I would recommend to ask them earlier before the class ends so that they will have enough time to talk to you and write a detailed letter for you.