Adcoms: Were you ever able to tell when a student wrote their own LOR?

[premedalt]

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[Goro]

Excellent question!

My answer is no.

 

[Robin-jay]

Excellent question!

My answer is no.

Do you ever advise one to do so?

 

[Goro]

Do you ever advise one to do so?

The ideal letter of recommendation is actually a letter of evaluation. Someone writing their own letter is most probably unable to think in this way

 

[getdown]

The ideal letter of recommendation is actually a letter of evaluation. Someone writing their own letter is most probably unable to think in this way

Well you just let the cat out the bag so to speak

 

[gyngyn]

No, but I have figured out when it was their Mom.

 

[Goro]

No, but I have figured out when it was their Mom.

Oh, can you share details!?

 

[gyngyn]

Oh, can you share details!?

You'd be surprised how often I have seen a Mother use her unmarried name to write a letter for her child.
They have been physicians for the most part. The letter starts off: "I have known Johnny since he was a very young man..."

 

[mariposas905]

You'd be surprised how often I have seen a Mother would use her unmarried name to write a letter for her child.
They have been physicians for the most part. The letter starts off: "I have known Johnny since he was a very young man..."

You would think they'd know better as physicians themselves

 

[gyngyn]

You would think they'd know better as physicians themselves

I have learned that parents will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to give their child an advantage.
What is harder to understand is that the child in these cases decided to designate the parent as a letter writer!

 

[wysdoc]

No, but I have figured out when it was their Mom.

 

[676188]

You would think they'd know better as physicians themselves

I feel I have to point out that the typical personality type of a physician is take charge, type A, etc. Add being a parent to that and occasionally common sense goes out the window.

My husband (a lawyer) has offered enthusiastically to write me a LOR more than once, and I’ve had to explain to him how unprofessional and harmful that would be. Bless his heart, he just wants to help.