Asking about LOR AFTER it has been submitted??

[neurofreak]

do you guys think it would be appropriate/useful if you ask a LOR writer about his letter after it has already been put on file? i don't mean asking him about the exact contents and details of the letter, but rather just verifying that the letter was a positive and supportive one?

reading the number of recent posts about negative LORs has gotten me worried, and i was thinking about doing this, but am hesitant because i think it would show a lack of confidence and security in the writer...but then again, the letter has already been submitted to the letter file so it shouldn't matter

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[gotmeds?]

I think it would be kind of insulting to your LOR writer. Besides, what's he gonna do, tell you that he wrote you a crappy LOR? Your pre-med advisor might be able to tell you whether your LORs are "strong" without getting into details, but otherwise, I think you just have to let it go.

 

[Dr JPH]

do you guys think it would be appropriate/useful if you ask a LOR writer about his letter after it has already been put on file? i don't mean asking him about the exact contents and details of the letter, but rather just verifying that the letter was a positive and supportive one?

reading the number of recent posts about negative LORs has gotten me worried, and i was thinking about doing this, but am hesitant because i think it would show a lack of confidence and security in the writer...but then again, the letter has already been submitted to the letter file so it shouldn't matter

If you asked someone for a LOR and had no idea what they could write, then you didnt know them well enough to ask for the letter in the first place.

Don't get letters from people who might write negative things. Its that simple.

I hear all the time "well, I thought it was going to be a good letter." Come on. People should know better. Look at the person writing the letter...then say "did I ever act like a jackass in front of this guy? did I ever skip his class? did I ever show up to his class drunk? did I sleep with his wife?"

Common sense will go a long way.

Unfortunately it isnt too common.

 

[coral]

I agree, not the best end note between you and the letter writer, who you may want to maintain as a professional contact for the future. I too was (unnecessarily) paranoid about my letters, but the actual percentage of negative letters I'm sure is a small small number, and for the most part positive. Relax

 

[crazy_cavalier]

This should be obvious.

Asking if they wrote a strong reference AFTER getting a LOR from them...
= bad move, terribly stupid faux pas

Asking if they can write a strong reference BEFORE getting a LOR from them...
= good move, acceptable inquiry

 

[AnEyeLikeMars]

This should be obvious.

Asking if they wrote a strong reference AFTER getting a LOR from them...
= bad move, terribly stupid faux pas

Asking if they can write a strong reference BEFORE getting a LOR from them...
= good move, acceptable inquiry

You're right on.

OP, you'll just end up embarassing yourself and offending your letter-writer. Don't ask. Don't worry about it.

 

[neurofreak]

thanks for preventing me from making a jackass outta myself...although i prob wouldnt have asked anyways, im just paranoid after reading all those bad LOR threads

has anyone actually gotten their premed committee/letter service staff to "screen" letters and tell them about the strong letters. sounds a bit shady to me, considering the letters are confidential

 

[gotmeds?]

has anyone actually gotten their premed committee/letter service staff to "screen" letters and tell them about the strong letters. sounds a bit shady to me, considering the letters are confidential

Oh, it's shady alright. But I've heard of some pre-med advisors telling people whether or not they had good letters (without saying specifically which ones were good and which ones weren't). I never asked mine. I found out about one of my letters in the best way possible -- a bunch of my interviewers brought it up and said it was a great letter. The point is: get your LORs from people who know you well enough to write you a good letter.

 

[Kraazy]

If you asked someone for a LOR and had no idea what they could write, then you didnt know them well enough to ask for the letter in the first place.

Says it all...

Honestly, I'm a bit afraid that I'll get a mediocre (generic but not straight up bad) letter from my old PI. He was never around so I never really got to know him that well, plus my research turned into a dead end eventually. But it would have been worse to not have a letter at all from someone I worked with for a year, and I know I'll have some good and great letters to balance things out.