I will quickly have to decide between options for my final rec letter. My committee requires 5 letters.
My currently locked in letters (along with estimated quality) are:
Research PI. Worked with for 4 years, published as first author with. 10/10 quality.
Science Prof #1. TA'd for twice (lead TA second year), took biochem with. 8+/10 quality.
Volunteer Supervisor (child life specialist). Thinks very very highly of me and my interpersonal/patient interaction skills. 10/10 quality.
Science Prof #2. Still deciding between two options, but both would be pretty average. 5-6/10 quality
I am a humanities major. My pre-med advisor told me I should use one my major's professors to write the 5th letter. In fact, she said that the committee will probably note in my committee letter that they noticed I didn't secure one of my major's professors as a letter writer, and that it might raise eyebrows for ADCOMS. However, I feel the kind of letter I could get from the profs in my department would be pretty average -basically just repeating my resume (I could be wrong and it might be a great letter, but that is my general impression and fear).
Note: While I have a ~3.81 cGPA and ~3.65 sGPA, my major GPA is extremely high (~3.97).
QUESTION 1: Will it actually raise eyebrows if I don't use a letter from my major? If it normally wouldn't but they actually do write about it in my committee letter, will it matter?
A very renowned doctor (at least in his field, where he is in the leadership of important research organizations and within his hospital) just offered to write me a letter without me asking. He operated on me when I was a teenager, and since then I have been in periodic contact with him (known him for a total of 8 years). He has seen me present posters at a national conference he is involved with as well as seen me interact with a patient at the hospital. I may shadow him soon as well. While I worry that the letter could be kind of superficial based on not having spent much time with me, he did offer it without me asking.
Question 2: Which of these would be best given my other letters?
A) My Humanities major professor
B) Doctor
C) Director of clinical bioengineering program I work for
D) Doctor "b" and have him include a quote from engineer "c" above (as they often work together with the same patients)
My currently locked in letters (along with estimated quality) are:
Research PI. Worked with for 4 years, published as first author with. 10/10 quality.
Science Prof #1. TA'd for twice (lead TA second year), took biochem with. 8+/10 quality.
Volunteer Supervisor (child life specialist). Thinks very very highly of me and my interpersonal/patient interaction skills. 10/10 quality.
Science Prof #2. Still deciding between two options, but both would be pretty average. 5-6/10 quality
I am a humanities major. My pre-med advisor told me I should use one my major's professors to write the 5th letter. In fact, she said that the committee will probably note in my committee letter that they noticed I didn't secure one of my major's professors as a letter writer, and that it might raise eyebrows for ADCOMS. However, I feel the kind of letter I could get from the profs in my department would be pretty average -basically just repeating my resume (I could be wrong and it might be a great letter, but that is my general impression and fear).
Note: While I have a ~3.81 cGPA and ~3.65 sGPA, my major GPA is extremely high (~3.97).
QUESTION 1: Will it actually raise eyebrows if I don't use a letter from my major? If it normally wouldn't but they actually do write about it in my committee letter, will it matter?
A very renowned doctor (at least in his field, where he is in the leadership of important research organizations and within his hospital) just offered to write me a letter without me asking. He operated on me when I was a teenager, and since then I have been in periodic contact with him (known him for a total of 8 years). He has seen me present posters at a national conference he is involved with as well as seen me interact with a patient at the hospital. I may shadow him soon as well. While I worry that the letter could be kind of superficial based on not having spent much time with me, he did offer it without me asking.
Question 2: Which of these would be best given my other letters?
A) My Humanities major professor
B) Doctor
C) Director of clinical bioengineering program I work for
D) Doctor "b" and have him include a quote from engineer "c" above (as they often work together with the same patients)