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Can more than one prof sign a single LOR?
- Thread starter Endoxifen
- Start date
It's largely idiosyncratic to the school, but these profs are at Mayo and Mayo seems to be really partial to its own. I want as many voices from there as possible for the Mayo app.
Since the letter needs to be listed in AMCAS under one name, which name will you use?
I officially worked for only one of them, so I can use that name. Alternatively, I can have one speak about my lab experience and the other about my character.
They certainly can both sign a letter and write it jointly, but it would still be one letter. I am not sure how much weight it would be except at Mayo which has gone thru some rather major admission changes the last 2 or 3 years
I recall reading a Mayo newsletter (which I cant locate at the moment) with either a new dean or director of admissions who discussed the revamp of the admissions process, it was formalizing aspects and policy of it that had been done in a much more informal way due to the small class size. There were several upper level leadership changes with deans leaving to other schools or returning to practice. All this really means to you is a slightly more formal process in which the letters get noted and recieved
I was not aware of that. Do you suspect it will make them more or less welcoming to students with relationships with Mayo?
Unsure, If I recall from the article he wanted to "modernize" the admissions system, which may make it more holistic/evaluative criteria. In terms of culture of what an adcom like, that is much slower to change
I've had this thought too.
I've been a student of a number of different professors (~4) in our philosophy department, and was wondering whether or not I could have multiple people sign one letter as a sort of quasi-committee evaluation; it's a small department, with small class sizes, so I have significant relationships with each. Surely, having multiple people vouch for you couldn't be a bad thing... but I don't know. I don't know if that would just be "weird" to the adcomms, or what. Care to comment, @LizzyM @Goro et al.?
I've been a student of a number of different professors (~4) in our philosophy department, and was wondering whether or not I could have multiple people sign one letter as a sort of quasi-committee evaluation; it's a small department, with small class sizes, so I have significant relationships with each. Surely, having multiple people vouch for you couldn't be a bad thing... but I don't know. I don't know if that would just be "weird" to the adcomms, or what. Care to comment, @LizzyM @Goro et al.?
You have to use your judgement on the letter. If you are in some situation where you work for a department or more than one person and they can jointly write you a letter, then do so. This comes up rarely as the vast majority of applicant - professor LORs are singular in nature. There is no general bias or reason that they should be endorsed or rejected . I could imagine that a star student in a department has the department chair and several faculty jointly write a letter
Ayyyy there's the information that never fails to come from SDN! (@Goro still <3 u)
That is exactly my situation. Took biomedical ethics sophomore year with department head, and now he is basically my mentor, probably even more so than my PI who I've worked with for 3 years. Like I said above, I have strong relationships with about 3 other philosophy professors, all of which I would think could write me letter -- but I'm obviously not going to ask them all. Which is why I had the thought of a joint letter. Thank you for the input! I'll think about it some more.
If they want to jointly write a letter and its signed by 4 faculty it would have impact if there is evidence to show strong connections to all. In a small department, I can see this being easy to show
What constitutes evidence of strong connections? I would think this means at the very least one class with them? Stronger evidence would then be multiple classes? I've had extended conversations with each about various philosophical issues, and being a recipient of certain awards given by the department and having been the president of our phil and ethics org on campus, I'm thinking they have (1) a good idea of who I am academically and (2) personally due to other things I listed.
I don't know what exactly goes into LOR. I'm a student. In their evaluation of my potential as a physician, I'm assuming they'll refer to things that I've mentioned, along with other qualities they've noticed in class and etc. Does that sound like evidence of a strong connection?
It may be a bit neurotic, but since I'm aiming high (justifiably, I think, given my other stats) I know I will be competing with students at institutions that are ranked much higher than mine, all of which have higher prestige, reputation, and etc (I go to a public state school in OK). I think these LOR's, along with my MCAT and etc, would be one way to belie institutionally-derived feelings that I am less competitive. All this is to explain why I've been nagging about these LOR, so hopefully that provides some context.
(Also, sorry OP for hijacking your thread!)
1) What goes into a letter can be seen below in the AAMC Letter Writer's Guide
2) Ask your professors if they feel they can write the letter and show evidence of strong connections. You have to use your judgement
3) You're a neurotic premed but that is in itself redundant
