Great post! Suggestion - is there a way to stick this post on top of the forum? It's a timeless piece indeed
LZ pointed out a mindset that that Chinese students should learn about networking and recommendation letters.
Good LoRs are outcomes of good work (in class, office hours, research projects). So focusing on the work that you enjoy most will naturally give you access to similarly minded professors and a world of opportunities. Once the professors know you well they'll write good letters and even go out of their ways to help. A professor of a friend of mine called the dean of another school to recommend my friend because she helped the professor on several studies. Some people deliberately please their professors in search of recommendation letters. Don't do this - professors can easily tell 1) if you are genuinely interested in the subject, and 2) if you are talented
In academia, this kind of behavior is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. Quoting LZ: 想
用一个新近我经历的案例来说明，最近也意外，什么样的邮件都收到了，有些同学(我希望这样没有冒犯你们，我不提名字，但我认为这种错误看法很多人还会再
犯，所以纯粹就事论事)给我邮件，希望我让我的hbs
professor替他/她去向他/她申请的另外一个学校说好话，问题是连我都之前从来不认识他/她。 Would like to congratulate LZ. Quoting Liangqichao: 因自己的才能、境地，做一种劳作做到圆满，便是天地间第一等人。 | 
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发表于 2009-3-18 19:33:00
