Ok I'm wondering how to go about doing this.

There isn't a single mechanical engineering professor in the tech ME department that would even have a clue who I was if I emailed them asking for a letter of recommendation, and the grad school I'm applying to requires three of them.

What do I do?

Do they just hand these things out to anyone or do you actually have to prove to them you deserve it?

I think I _MIGHT_ be able to get Dr. Oler to give me one, and MAYBE Dr. Muga ....

I mean should I just email the instructors I know I got good grades from and be like "Hi! Recommend me!"......?

It really depends on the professor. Some will just type out a basic form letter, and toss in some personal junk based on attendance/grades/participation. If you can, try to get ones from classes in which you were highly active and knew the prof pretty well by semester's end.

I don't think you could consider me "highly" active in any of the classes, I hardley talked to any of my professors at all.

I just showed up, did homework, and took tests.

talk to an adviser. i did that, and she miraculously came up with three letters.

Email several, mentioning what classes you had them for and when, ask if they remember you and if they'd be willing to write you a letter of recommendation.

Even if they don't remember you personally that well (and you may be surprised), many would be willing to write a letter of recommendation if they see from their records that you did well in your class.

why not just forge all of your letters?

I'd assume any graduate school worth its salt would check said references.

that's why you put down your brothers, dad, and mom's phone numbers so they can pretend like the references

references are pretty over-rated anyways. it's just a bunch of BS from one of many form letters the prof has written up. you also don't see references get called hardly ever. the only way it'd really matter is if the professors looking over your application happen to know your prof from tech. in that case they might actually read the letter/care what it says and possibly call him.

uh for grad school letters of recommendation are reaaaaaaaaaally important. but a generic letter from a professor that is known to write one for anyone will mean next to zero.
sorry shoulda tried harder in school

dogmeat,

realistic suggestions

talk with the grad program, explain the situation, mayhaps they will allow you to substitute some work references for professor references.

get accepted to grad school, even if you can't necessarily get into the program you want initially. develop faculty relationships, get references. if you do it right, you won't fall behind.

take some shots in the dark and see if professors remember any of your work. try going through the advisor as well to see if they know of any profs that are understanding of this situation.

well, this is another thing ...

For the field of study I'm going into, I have a _LOT_ of prior work experience, but no references. IE, I can't use my current job as a reference because if I do I'll be fired on spot.

The other thing is, the program I'm trying to get into isn't exactly a prestegious school by any means and didn't even HAVE a PE program from like 1994 until 2004 .... they cut it out entirley, and finally started it up again several years ago ..

They do offer MSPE and PhD in PE, but I cannot for the life of me think that people are dying to head to the University of Wyoming for a master's in PE, which I think is what will ultimatley get me in if I get in.

What I'm going to do is get my GRE done, apply, and then send them an essay stating that I really dont' have a lot of academic references, but I can give them a resume and a transcript and whatnot ...

I don't know, I kind of have a feeling that if I talk to htem about it they'll be a lot more lienient on me as far as the letters of recomendation go.

yeah, find some time to go in person and meet people in the department. ask for a meeting with the chair, a professor, an advisor, and possibly with some students. take initiative and look like a BA.

if they like you are a person and your transcript/test scores, the recommendation letters might be a moot point.

i know that there was a phd program that i was applying to that was familiar with some of my research and publications and told me that the application had to be complete just as a formality, so who knows.

and i know people who went to the university of wyoming and had a bombass time. apparently, since there's nowhere else to go in the state really, they do it up right.

Yeah, I partied myself right outta there .... twice

no it doesnt mean you didnt try hard in school but if you want recommendations then yes should have tried harder so you could get those