unusual LOR question

[KevinD]

Hi all this is my first post. To cut to the chase, I have been working in a lab for 1-1.5 years. Last year, the grad student I was working for got kicked out because of academic dishonesty. I got reassigned to a different grad student and have worked for him for 2 months now.

I asked him for a LOR and he told me he can write me only a "neutral letter" because he hasn't worked with me for so long. I asked him what that meant and he said a letter saying what I did in lab, how long I worked, etc. Nothing positive or negative.

Do I submit this letter? It's not negative so it can't hurt right?

I thought about asking the PI but I never even met him. (I went directly to the grad student when I was looking for a lab position.) The grad student writes it and PI signs it. Of course, asking the kicked out grad student for LOR is not an option.

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[fizzle]

Hi all this is my first post. To cut to the chase, I have been working in a lab for 1-1.5 years. Last year, the grad student I was working for got kicked out because of academic dishonesty. I got reassigned to a different grad student and have worked for him for 2 months now.

I asked him for a LOR and he told me he can write me only a "neutral letter" because he hasn't worked with me for so long. I asked him what that meant and he said a letter saying what I did in lab, how long I worked, etc. Nothing positive or negative.

Do I submit this letter? It's not negative so it can't hurt right?

I thought about asking the PI but I never even met him. (I went directly to the grad student when I was looking for a lab position.) The grad student writes it and PI signs it. Of course, asking the kicked out grad student for LOR is not an option.

Assuming that you're applying for the upcoming cycle, how about just waiting to ask for a letter until May or so? By then you'd have about half a year under him, giving him a more solid basis for writing a letter, and you'd also be giving him at least two months to write and submit his letter.

PS: During this time, also try to find some opportunities to get to know your PI.

 

[BlueElmo]

Assuming that you're applying for the upcoming cycle, how about just waiting to ask for a letter until May or so? By then you'd have about half a year under him, giving him a more solid basis for writing a letter, and you'd also be giving him at least two months to write and submit his letter.

PS: During this time, also try to find some opportunities to get to know your PI.

The reason I asked for the letter now is because I'm taking a leave of absence from the lab this semester. I'm juggling two jobs with school right now (I'm in work-study program) and I don't have time for research this semester. I won't resume lab work until July, by then I would already have submitted my AMCAS. Don't know what to do.

 

[cyclin M]

Hi all this is my first post. To cut to the chase, I have been working in a lab for 1-1.5 years. Last year, the grad student I was working for got kicked out because of academic dishonesty. I got reassigned to a different grad student and have worked for him for 2 months now.

I asked him for a LOR and he told me he acan write me only a "neutral letter" because he hasn't worked with me for so long. I asked him what that meant and he said a letter saying what I did in lab, how long I worked, etc. Nothing positive or negative.

Do I submit this letter? It's not negative so it can't hurt right?

I thought about asking the PI but I never even met him. (I went directly to the grad student when I was looking for a lab position.) The grad student writes it and PI signs it. Of course, asking the kicked out grad student for LOR is not an option.

Assuming that you're applying for the upcoming cycle, how about just waiting to ask for a letter until May or so? By then you'd have about half a year under him, giving him a more solid basis for writing a letter, and you'd also be giving him at least two months to write and submit his letter.

PS: During this time, also try to find some opportunities to get to know your PI.

The reason I asked for the letter now is because I'm taking a leave of absence from the lab this semester. I'm juggling two jobs with school right now (I'm in work-study program) and I don't have time for research this semester. I won't resume lab work until July, by then I would already have submitted my AMCAS. Don't know what to do.

uhhh...did you make a new account to ask this? Aren't you the guy that screwed up the RNA isolation under a grad student that said he'd write a bad one for you???? Don't troll please.

 

[fizzle]

uhhh...did you make a new account to ask this? Aren't you the guy that screwed up the RNA isolation under a grad student that said he'd write a bad one for you???? Don't troll please.

Eh...I don't think s/he's trolling; I think he just wanted some anonymity to ask his question without bias. It is a legitimate question (regardless of whether it's true in his/her case) that may apply to many others, after all.

To blueelmo: If you want the LOR, then you must spend the time working with your graduate student mentor or PI. If you plan to give your strongest effort in the application cycle, you may need to either make the time or find someone else to write your LOR; a "neutral" letter is not going to help your application at all.