Professors are letting me draft my own Letters of Rec before they add their own sauce!!!

[ChipSkylarkxxxshinyteeth]

I’d like to say that I’m in a pretty lucky however stressful situation where two of my professors I reached out to for LOR’s from are actually suggesting that I write key points and anything I'd like in the letters about myself. Has anyone else been in this same situation? If yes I need your help, and if not then I STILL need your help!

What are dental schools really looking for in a letter of recommendation? What makes a LOR great, other than proving that the professor actually knows you?

Really I’m open to any and all advice when it comes to letters of rec! thanks friends

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BullGator1004]

Before you stress too much, the chances of your letters actually being read depends on your numbers.

 

[cooliyak]

I’d like to say that I’m in a pretty lucky however stressful situation where two of my professors I reached out to for LOR’s from are actually suggesting that I write the bulk of the letters myself. Has anyone else been in this same situation? If yes I need your help, and if not then I STILL need your help!

What are dental schools really looking for in a letter of recommendation? What makes a LOR great, other than proving that the professor actually knows you?

Really I’m open to any and all advice when it comes to letters of rec! thanks friends

I wouldn’t call that lucky. They put you in a pretty ethically questionable situation.

 

[rk1229]

I wouldn’t call that lucky. They put you in a pretty ethically questionable situation.

True

 

[GoDental101]

I would ask some different professors. They don’t sound very interested or invested in you if they are asking you to write your own letters of rec. Simply put it’s unethical and if any adcom found out you’d likely be rejected for just that. I had a few professors that wrote my letters tell me people called to ask about the letter from various schools. So be careful. Just out of curiosity...Did they also have you grade your own exams?

 

[Ladm8]

it happens way more often than you think

 

[ChipSkylarkxxxshinyteeth]

Before you stress too much, the chances of your letters actually being read depends on your numbers.

Just over 3.0 but pretty good DAT 23AA! Any Idea what admissions like to see in the letters?

 

[ChipSkylarkxxxshinyteeth]

I would ask some different professors. They don’t sound very interested or invested in you if they are asking you to write your own letters of rec. Simply put it’s unethical and if any adcom found out you’d likely be rejected for just that. I had a few professors that wrote my letters tell me people called to ask about the letter from various schools. So be careful. Just out of curiosity...Did they also have you grade your own exams?

Lol yeah I graded my own exams but I just have immaculate integrity!

But for reals, they love me and know it’s important. They just want to know what the most important aspect to include in the letter is. They both never wrote a letter for dental students only medical and other postgrad programs. It’s not like I’m writing the entire thing it’s more collaborative.

 

[ChipSkylarkxxxshinyteeth]

I wouldn’t call that lucky. They put you in a pretty ethically questionable situation.

Yeah I didn’t explain the whole situation! It’s actually a really nice collaborative deal where I suggest key points. But any advice on what they should write?

 

[cooliyak]

Yeah I didn’t explain the whole situation! It’s actually a really nice collaborative deal where I suggest key points. But any advice on what they should write?

A “draft” or the “bulk of my letter” is not “key points.” Give them your CV, personal statement, and unofficial transcripts and let them write it themselves. You can also suggest they highlight certain things that you are proud of.

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

I wouldn’t call that lucky. They put you in a pretty ethically questionable situation.

Between essays for my application and essays for classes I'm so done with writing. It would be a pain to have to write my letters as well.

"ADB is a good chap please let him in"

 

[knewstance]

Writing your own letters is no fun, it is hard to boast about yourself. But it's nice because you know what it's going to say!

My biggest suggestion in this is that you need to make sure when you write, you are using a different tone/writing style than you personally use. Adcoms have a big long essay written by you, if they recognize the same writing style in your LORs, that would not be good. So either just try really hard and have several people proof it vs your PS to make sure they don't sound similar or even give a friend your content and have them write it in their writing style.

A “draft” or the “bulk of my letter” is not “key points.” Give them your CV, personal statement, and unofficial transcripts and let them write it themselves. You can also suggest they highlight certain things that you are proud of.

I agree that this is the best way to do it. But the issue lies in the fact that your LOR writers may not be willing to donate a portion of their personal time to you. I don't necessarily agree with this, but its the reality of time=money.

 

[cooliyak]

it happens way more often than you think

So does parents bribing their kids’ way into schools, doesn’t mean it’s right or that you should look the other way.

 

[cooliyak]

Writing your own letters is no fun, it is hard to boast about yourself. But it's nice because you know what it's going to say!

My biggest suggestion in this is that you need to make sure when you write, you are using a different tone/writing style than you personally use. Adcoms have a big long essay written by you, if they recognize the same writing style in your LORs, that would not be good. So either just try really hard and have several people proof it vs your PS to make sure they don't sound similar or even give a friend your content and have them write it in their writing style.


I agree that this is the best way to do it. But the issue lies in the fact that your LOR writers may not be willing to donate a portion of their personal time to you. I don't necessarily agree with this, but its the reality of time=money.

I think a good way to test the ethics of a situation is to ask yourself if you have to do something different in order to deceive someone else. In this case, writing something in a voice other than your own in order to pass it off as you having not written it.
If someone is asking you to write your own letter because they don’t have the time or don’t want to spend the time to do it for you, you should find someone else because they obviously don’t believe you are worth their time.

 

[deleted767916]

I would ask some different professors. They don’t sound very interested or invested in you if they are asking you to write your own letters of rec. Simply put it’s unethical and if any adcom found out you’d likely be rejected for just that. I had a few professors that wrote my letters tell me people called to ask about the letter from various schools. So be careful. Just out of curiosity...Did they also have you grade your own exams?

I disagree to a some degree. A lot of professors are super busy. Had one teacher suggest that I write my own letter and I refuse for ethical reasons. Took her legit 8 months to write it smh

 

[princeafrica]

I would give them key points you want them to highlight and have them write it themselves. I asked my pharmacy manager to write me a letter and she told me to write one and give it to her. I couldn’t even complete two sentences. It felt weird and fake lol.

So instead I gave her my CV, transcript, personal statement, and a bunch of different points I wanted her personal statement to highlight. I think it turned out to be a great letter since one school mentioned my letter from my pharmacist was really good lol. Way better than what I would of probably came up with. It is just more authentic to have someone else write about you rather than you

 

[2TH MVR]

Want a solid LOR? Speaking as an orthodontist who was asked a few times to write a LOR from those shadowing. Provide the letter writer with some pertinent information about yourself. Not suggesting a fully written LOR. Just some notes.

I want to write a solid LOR for YOU. But like you .... I am also BUSY with practice and life. During our times together .... it's not like I was taking notes of all your accomplishments. Pretty sure that while you were shadowing me .... I was dealing with patients and staff.

Can't speak for the professors, but us "in the trenches dentists" ... help us to help you by providing some notes about yourself.

 

[GoDental101]

I disagree to a some degree. A lot of professors are super busy. Had one teacher suggest that I write my own letter and I refuse for ethical reasons. Took her legit 8 months to write it smh

You should have asked someone else at that point. She made it clear she didn't really want to write it. I asked one teacher to write one and he didn't seem to happy about it so I just told him never mind and that I found someone else. It might be hard to find the right person, but just because it is hard doesn't mean the solution is to cheat your way through it. Good luck in dental school though!

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Took her legit 8 months to write it smh

This is my nightmare. I have all my recs except for one written already but the prof is busy working on a patent right now. Did everything work out for you?

 

[cooliyak]

I disagree to a some degree. A lot of professors are super busy. Had one teacher suggest that I write my own letter and I refuse for ethical reasons. Took her legit 8 months to write it smh

I’m still waiting for a letter from my orthodontist... 7 years and counting...

 

[deleted767916]

She has finally written me one, it's not like she doesn't like me she straight up said she's lazy lmao

This is my nightmare. I have all my recs except for one written already but the prof is busy working on a patent right now. Did everything work out for you?

 

[TheGreatDude]

This means that you can add in your own sauce before they add in their sauce !!!