Are letter of references THAT important and add extra brownie pts?

[Smooth Operater]

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Hello guys,

I don't personally know many professors who I have taken courses with and I have one more year to go before getting my degree. Should I try to spend more time "sucking up" to the profs and pretend to show interest about their life outside of class in order for them to write good LOR? If LOR is not that important, I would not waste time sucking up too much, and just focus on the DAT and GPA.

What do you guys think? Would having good LOR add extra browine points? Or is it just something that the adcom check off on their check list? Thanks!!

 

[L8DYV]

Hello guys,

I don't personally know many professors who I have taken courses with and I have one more year to go before getting my degree. Should I try to spend more time "sucking up" to the profs and pretend to show interest about their life outside of class in order for them to write good LOR? If LOR is not that important, I would not waste time sucking up too much, and just focus on the DAT and GPA.

What do you guys think? Would having good LOR add extra browine points? Or is it just something that the adcom check off on their check list? Thanks!!

lol....
ok there... smoooooooooth operator...

 

[tamkhan]

as far as i know, LORs dont carry too much importance. adcoms look at your file and if they think youre worth an interview, they check your lors just incase a 'red flag' shows up on them. adcoms know that most science classes have 150 + students (atleast thats the case at UofT); you can only do so much to make a decent impression on your prof.
i'd say, just grab 'A course' profs and get your LORs.

 

[SugarNaCl]

I actually would have to disagree with Tankhan in a way. I spoke with some of the heads of admission where I have applied. I was told a couple of different things. 1. If you don't make the GPA/DAT requirements, your LORs will not be looked at and 2. If you do make that first cut, LORs are critical. The LORs and outside experiences are what are left to differentiate you from the rest of the crowd.

On the other hand, do well in courses you want to get LORs from the professors in, ask relev. questions, but don't "kiss up." Anyone can pick that out and many don't want the sort of relationship with their students where the students know too much about their outside activities. Many professors like to keep that barrier up.... That is what I found out at least. You may look annoying and sabatoge your own application if you do that. Just my opinion on the final part.

 

[tamkhan]

heres a copy of a post on another forum. posted by a person who is a member of the adcom at a US dental school. I really dont know what the whole truth is;i guess every school is different. but, this is what ive come across so far

"Ok so here is the truth about LORs:

They will only play a crucial role in the following ways:

1. They come from someone that is well known to the admissions committee.....this could be anyone from a well known science professor (like Stephen Hawking!!) or a famous alumni from that specific school. If its from just some Joe Schmo 2nd year chemistry professor, it will be considered neutral no matter how the good the letter is....cause adcoms know full well that when LORs are written, profs have them already made up on the computer and just insert your name. Adcoms are not stupid.

2. the adcom will have a checklist of things to look at....first and foremost are grades/DAT. Then the interview. If those two are good, they might turn to the LORs just to make sure....but this is to only check for anything major. If the prof writes something really discouraging about the applicant, this might send up a red flag and the applicant goes from "most likely accepted" to "maybe".

Other than that, you should definitely make sure your LORs are good, but if you think that amazing LORs from everyday science professors can make up for low stats, then you are in for a shock, unless like I said its an LOR from someone that the committe has high respect for.

So why do they ask for the LORs? Well first of all, its a great way to weed students out, because if students cant get the necessary LORs, then there is definitely something wrong with them. Also, if an adcom is undecided about an applicant, then they need something that will help them make that ultimate and final decision......and the essay and LORs are perfect for that"

again, id stress that every dental/medical school has its own rules about lors. to be on the safe side, make sure ure lors are good!

 

[MCGHopeful]

Yeah, I honestly do not think that LORs carry that much weight. I think it is a requirement no more or no less important than making sure you write your name on a application. Simply a requirement.....with the number of applications received at some schools, I doubt they even read them all.

Trust me, I wish it were different since it would definitely help me get noticed, but that ain't gonna happen 🙂

 

[tamkhan]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=314192

i guess theyre not so important after all.😛

 

[dentaldentist]

LORs might not have a huge weight put on them by admissions committees, but they are a part of the application so I wouldn't just blow them off. Make an effort to get to know a couple of professors. Don't kiss up. Just pick courses that you did well in and go talk to the professor, ask them for a recommendation and take the time to explain why you are interested in dentistry and what you have done to prepare. If you are still taking classes, make an effort to be seen by the professor by doing well in the class and asking the occasional question. When you go in to ask for a recommendation, offer to sit down with him or her and go over your background and why you are interested in dentistry. You might also want to provide them with a resume, and maybe some written answers to questions that they might have about you. Having something written out for them will help guide them when they write your LOR and it will also give you a chance to make sure you highlight certain areas that you think your letter writter should include in the recommendation. When I applied, I provided all my letter writers with a cover letter that briefly mentioned why dentistry and also what class I had with that professor and how I did. I also included a copy of my application essay, a resume and a few short answers to some common questions. Anyway, my point is that there is no need to become best buds with your professors - just do well in their classes, be friendly, and clearly provide them with reasons to write a good letter.

 

[toothfairy85]

I asked professors who I felt knew pretty well. However, they still wanted me to submit an autobiographical sketch or personal statement stating my reasons for choosing this career path. I also gave them a copy of my resume and transcript. I have also heard some professors want to have an "interview" with the student... especially in big state schools where sometimes it is difficult to get to know the professors and the students.