Anyone wonder what the LOR says?

[CD]

I had a prof. that knows me VERY well write a LOR for me for grad school (he will also be writing me one for med), however I was never able to view it. It must be great considering what the grad admissions have said to me but I'm dying to know what he wrote. Anyone else wondering?

 

[Adcadet]

I'm sure the vast majority of LORs are really boring and unoriginal.

 

[Focus]

I think most recommenders, especially the professors of big classes like chemistry, etc have "pre-made" letters of recs, all they do is cut and paste your name in.

I was a bit disappointed w/ my research mentor though, I thought he'd take the time to write me a personal LOR, but it turned out that he used a template as well. I had the opportunity to read it and it was really heart felt until I read the name "Carrie" and was addressed as "she" near the end, I guess he forgot to change that part! So I gave it back to him and asked him to fix it. Heh.

- Focus

 

[CD]

No, I know the LOR he wrote was original for me...not a template because I called his home during the summer and asked for the letter. He responded that he would start on it right away because he really wanted to do a good job for me (he had several weeks to write it). He went on to say that I just didn't "fit" the mold and would require special thought. When I asked the next year what he had wrote (I worked as his T.A. during the next year) he smiled and said "Awww, someday when you grow up I'll tell you". I'm a non-trad well over 30 so it was quite funny and we both laughed. The point was that HE DIDN'T want to show or tell me what he had ACTUALLY written!

 

[SMW]

You're supposed to waive your right to see the letters, anyway. Of course everybody wonders what exactly is in their letters. You just have to take on faith that somebody who says they'll write you a great LOR actually knows how to write!