Help! Biology Letter of Recommendation

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Hi everyone,

I am having trouble getting a letter from a Biology professor. I have only taken General Biology I and II. I am having a tough time reaching my professor who taught these classes. She was the only Biology teacher I have had in college..what do I do? Is there any way around this? I have taken Biochemistry, but it's of course part of my Chemistry department.... Thanks for any help.

You don't necessarily need a letter from a bio prof. Most schools just require one or two letters from science professors. Have you stopped by your professors' office? If you try to make an appointment with them by email, they may not respond if they don't recognize your name right away.

Originally Posted by PhoebeAZ

You don't necessarily need a letter from a bio prof. Most schools just require one or two letters from science professors. Have you stopped by your professors' office? If you try to make an appointment with them by email, they may not respond if they don't recognize your name right away.

I sent an e-mail to her and didn't receive a response. I sent another one a week later and still no response. I was a good student and received an A in both classes. One of them was also an honors section.

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Hi everyone,

I am having trouble getting a letter from a Biology professor. I have only taken General Biology I and II. I am having a tough time reaching my professor who taught these classes. She was the only Biology teacher I have had in college..what do I do? Is there any way around this? I have taken Biochemistry, but it's of course part of my Chemistry department.... Thanks for any help.

If you have a school that is requiring a Biology-type LOR, it means any biological science (Biology, Histology, Microbiology, and yes I believe even biochemistry would be considered a biology class even if it was offered by the chemistry department)

Call the school and see if they are okay with accepting the biochemistry LOR as biology... Im sure they'll be okay with it

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

If you have a school that is requiring a Biology-type LOR, it means any biological science (Biology, Histology, Microbiology, and yes I believe even biochemistry would be considered a biology class even if it was offered by the chemistry department)

Call the school and see if they are okay with accepting the biochemistry LOR as biology... Im sure they'll be okay with it

Thanks for the info.. if my school offers a committee letter then I will try and do that. However, would I need a biology letter if I do the committee as well or is that just for individual letters sent out? Thanks.

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Thanks for the info.. if my school offers a committee letter then I will try and do that. However, would I need a biology letter if I do the committee as well or is that just for individual letters sent out? Thanks.

I don't have any experience with committees..my school didn't have such.... so I can't answer that.

However, I do believe that if your school does offer the committee service, you should jump on it, it makes things easier than individual LORs

Okay, well I just asked my pre-health advisor and he said our school does NOT offer a committee letter. I really hope that doesn't have a negative effect on my application. Now I am very worried about getting a Biology reference.. Does any one else know if Biochemistry will count??

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Okay, well I just asked my pre-health advisor and he said our school does NOT offer a committee letter. I really hope that doesn't have a negative effect on my application. Now I am very worried about getting a Biology reference.. Does any one else know if Biochemistry will count??

lol they are not going to flag you if you dont have a committee letter. Some schools actually refer you get 3 LORs instead of 1 from committee

Example: Creighton

http://www.creighton.edu/dentalschoo...ex.php#c102467

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Okay, well I just asked my pre-health advisor and he said our school does NOT offer a committee letter. I really hope that doesn't have a negative effect on my application. Now I am very worried about getting a Biology reference.. Does any one else know if Biochemistry will count??

committee vs individual LORs is the same really.

But from the applicant point of view, its less headache to obtain and send 1 committee vs 3-4 LORs

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

committee vs individual LORs is the same really.

But from the applicant point of view, its less headache to obtain and send 1 committee vs 3-4 LORs

I definitely agree with you on that. Now, I will probably use interfolio.. has anyone used this system? Is it time consuming for the professors to set up an account and upload their letter?

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

I definitely agree with you on that. Now, I will probably use interfolio.. has anyone used this system? Is it time consuming for the professors to set up an account and upload their letter?

This thread here was started this week... I talked alot about interfolio

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=804731

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

This thread here was started this week... I talked alot about interfolio

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=804731

Thanks dental works. From what you said, the professor receives an e-mail from interfolio and in the e-mail they are able to upload their letter. Is this correct?

I just don't want my professors thinking this is some scam either..

Or you can just have them directly upload it to AADSAS.

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Thanks dental works. From what you said, the professor receives an e-mail from interfolio and in the e-mail they are able to upload their letter. Is this correct?

I just don't want my professors thinking this is some scam either..

yes... but at least talk to the professor first lol... let him/her know that they'll be getting an email from interfolio about the LOR... some professors tend to delete emails before opening them if they don't recognize the sender

Biochemistry does not count as biology according to tufts..

http://dental.tufts.edu/117629533838...496760237.html

Scroll down to LOR and you will see it's part of "other" science.. I am getting very worried b/c I can't reach my Biology professor..

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

Biochemistry does not count as biology according to tufts..

http://dental.tufts.edu/117629533838...496760237.html

Scroll down to LOR and you will see it's part of "other" science.. I am getting very worried b/c I can't reach my Biology professor..

I see...kinda sucks
I wish all the schools coordinated this better and make this thing global

Its March, that means he should be on campus, look up his office hours and stop by..

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

I see...kinda sucks
I wish all the schools coordinated this better and make this thing global

Its March, that means he should be on campus, look up his office hours and stop by..

I agree with you on that one. Some require Biology, some Physics, some non-science, some all three of those and by then we passed our 4 letter limit and have to send the extra letters individually..

Anyways, any suggestions on how to ask my professor for a letter considering I e-mailed her and she didn't respond? I got her office hours and will visit then. I just feel like the situation is awkward b/c she didn't respond lol..

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

I agree with you on that one. Some require Biology, some Physics, some non-science, some all three of those and by then we passed our 4 letter limit and have to send the extra letters individually..

Anyways, any suggestions on how to ask my professor for a letter considering I e-mailed her and she didn't respond? I got her office hours and will visit then. I just feel like the situation is awkward b/c she didn't respond lol..

I can't tell you what that means... but when its something this important (and personal), you should always ask in-person..... LOR request via email is (IMO at least) unprofessional and makes it seem like your too good to stop by and say "hello"

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

I can't tell you what that means... but when its something this important (and personal), you should always ask in-person..... LOR request via email is (IMO at least) unprofessional and makes it seem like your too good to stop by and say "hello"

Does this still apply to professors you are not taking courses from anymore?

Originally Posted by FLOSS UR TEETH

I agree with you on that one. Some require Biology, some Physics, some non-science, some all three of those and by then we passed our 4 letter limit and have to send the extra letters individually..

Anyways, any suggestions on how to ask my professor for a letter considering I e-mailed her and she didn't respond? I got her office hours and will visit then. I just feel like the situation is awkward b/c she didn't respond lol..

I have a family member who is a professor. He has his work e-mail account set to only accept e-mails from .edu addresses. Maybe your biology professor has done the same thing and hasn't received your e-mails?

Just chiming in, I submitted my application with two letters from chemistry professors. I don't think any of the schools require a biology LOR.

Originally Posted by Barking Lamb

Just chiming in, I submitted my application with two letters from chemistry professors. I don't think any of the schools require a biology LOR.

Some schools specify Biology professor and some just say science. To be safe I'm checking each school's requirements to make sure I've satisfied the ones I'm applying to.

Originally Posted by youknowthedrill

I have a family member who is a professor. He has his work e-mail account set to only accept e-mails from .edu addresses. Maybe your biology professor has done the same thing and hasn't received your e-mails?

A lot of the profs I emailed didn't respond. They probably get spammed with so many requests from people they don't know that they just don't bother replying.