crappy rec letter!? :(

[1905]

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I was able to see the rec letter that my dentist wrote for me, but it seems like it is kinda crappy. I know I shouldnt be a picky person etc, but I dont know what to do about it, and I have no choice but to submit it. Do you think I can say something to her? Here is the exact letter (with wierd grammar and all) i can attribute it to her being a bad writer, or just maybe not knowin gme well enough (which is not really the case)

I met ### in December 2004 at my Dental Office. She volunteered and shadowed my general practice. ### has strong talent that would be an asset to the dental field. Her research and extra curricular activities address her desire to educate and help others.

I would assess ### emotional maturity as above average for her age, ### has consulted with me on her senior research project combining dentistry and the community. I was also impressed on how ### handled stressful situations, she was calm and collect provided sensitive to the patient when patients were distressed.

I am certain if you select ### for enrollment in your dental program she will prove herself to be a great asset to your school. She is energetic, inquisitive, and self-motivated. ### has demonstrated the intangible characteristic of determination and maintains all the necessary attributes that will insure her success in the dental program as well as the dental field.

WHAT DO I DO!?!?!

i dont want to submit that letter!! and i was lucky that i got a chance to see it! is it really that bad? can i say something, please help!

 

[ISU_Steve]

You're being hypercritical. That's a good LOR. Relax. Mind if I ask what exactly were you expecting in this letter?

 

[1905]

You're being hypercritical. That's a good LOR. Relax. Mind if I ask what exactly were you expecting in this letter?

Thanks for bringing me back down to reality. i didnt realize that it was good. I was expecting her to highlight specific details, and more, just becuase the letter seems vague like she doesnt know me that well. I have worked there since December and she cant even say, I remember when >>> came in one day and showed me ... in this way and thats when I knew.. blah blah
i mean it could be stronger and iwas expecting more, but thanks for letting me know its not bad. I just thought LOR was supposed to be like WOW this person is awesome, but i just didnt get htat from the letter.

It just seems so vague

Thank you for your reply Steve

 

[toofache32]

Sounds great to me. It's probably better than any letters I had.

 

[r0entgen]

I was able to see the rec letter that my dentist wrote for me, but it seems like it is kinda crappy. I know I shouldnt be a picky person etc, but I dont know what to do about it, and I have no choice but to submit it. Do you think I can say something to her? Here is the exact letter (with wierd grammar and all) i can attribute it to her being a bad writer, or just maybe not knowin gme well enough (which is not really the case)

I met ### in December 2004 at my Dental Office. She volunteered and shadowed my general practice. ### has strong talent that would be an asset to the dental field. Her research and extra curricular activities address her desire to educate and help others.

I would assess ### emotional maturity as above average for her age, ### has consulted with me on her senior research project combining dentistry and the community. I was also impressed on how ### handled stressful situations, she was calm and collect provided sensitive to the patient when patients were distressed.

I am certain if you select ### for enrollment in your dental program she will prove herself to be a great asset to your school. She is energetic, inquisitive, and self-motivated. ### has demonstrated the intangible characteristic of determination and maintains all the necessary attributes that will insure her success in the dental program as well as the dental field.

WHAT DO I DO!?!?!

i dont want to submit that letter!! and i was lucky that i got a chance to see it! is it really that bad? can i say something, please help!

it's not a bad rec...a bad rec is when the recommender ****-talks you...

this is an average rec....it's not great, and it's not bad...

how long did you know the dentist for? i don't think the adcoms would expect an in-detailed biography about you from a dentist you shadowed for a short period of time...

 

[ISU_Steve]

Thanks for bringing me back down to reality. i didnt realize that it was good. I was expecting her to highlight specific details, and more, just becuase the letter seems vague like she doesnt know me that well. I have worked there since December and she cant even say, I remember when >>> came in one day and showed me ... in this way and thats when I knew.. blah blah
i mean it could be stronger and iwas expecting more, but thanks for letting me know its not bad. I just thought LOR was supposed to be like WOW this person is awesome, but i just didnt get htat from the letter.

It just seems so vague

Thank you for your reply Steve

Not a problem. Just remember that the idea is not to sing your praises in such a fashion that it sounds like you wrote it yourself (the "WOW" type letter you were expecting), but to state your qualifications in a professional manner, which is exactly what the dentist did. I'd be more than happy to submit a letter like that with my application.

 

[Rezdawg]

1905, I dont see what else you would want in a rec.

If I had half of that, I would be at Harvard. Maybe adding 1 point on my gpa would have helped as well.

 

[1905]

1905, I dont see what else you would want in a rec.

If I had half of that, I would be at Harvard. Maybe adding 1 point on my gpa would have helped as well.

LOL thank you everyone for your replies. It makes me feel a bit more confident.. My GPA sucks bad so I was hoping anything could help me, and hopefully the letter does it..

Real quick, if there is a grammerical error etc in it, does that look bad on me?

thank you everyone again!

 

[1905]

it's not a bad rec...a bad rec is when the recommender ****-talks you...

this is an average rec....it's not great, and it's not bad...

how long did you know the dentist for? i don't think the adcoms would expect an in-detailed biography about you from a dentist you shadowed for a short period of time...

ive known the dentist since dec 2004 so nearly 6-7 months of shadowing etc. i just thought/expected a bit more personal of a letter.

But thank you ever yone🙂

 

[Mr.E]

Okay, I would like to add to this list a concern/complaint about a LOR I received from a professor in biology. I ask the prof for a LOR and he agreed. I've had the opportunity to read the letter. It is an excellent letter with high marks, specifics, and his personal opinion about my future success etc. But he mentions in the letter that I spent several hours after lab speaking with him about "creationism vs. evolution" and that "I was very interested in finding argument againsts creationist." The problem is that (a) I only asked him what he thought about the whole debate, and (b) I mentioned to him some flaws that I noticed in some of the argumentation that is presented for a young earth. I never actually informed him of my own views or intention. So in the LOR he makes it sound like I'm some skeptic out to get creationists. The problem is that I'm applying to LOMA LINDA and one of my LOR is from a religous leader. So I'm concerned that (a) my professor's letter will make it appear that I'm non-religous and/or and hence lessen my chance with this school or that the rest of my LORs will look inconsistent with his. What do you guys think?

 

[Audio]

That sucks 🙁

 

[1905]

That sucks, like the other guy said, but i dont know if it is the end of the world.

This is maybe an option> but im not sure. Maybe you can go to the professor and just tell him how you feel and say that you think the letter may be stronger without that part or if he can just omit that part. If you dont want to act picky and stuff, just say that your advisor reads over the letters and the advisor mentioned that you talk to him about stregnthening the letter and omitting the creationism portion. I dunno, I would be stressed too. but The rest of the letter is awesome and thats the type I was hoping for from my dentist.

Good Luck, I dont know if it will work, and how your school works, but its worth a shot. Do you have a choice to not use his letter? Or just use it for some schools and not LLU?

 

[v&andy_yankee]

I was able to see the rec letter that my dentist wrote for me, but it seems like it is kinda crappy. I know I shouldnt be a picky person etc, but I dont know what to do about it, and I have no choice but to submit it. Do you think I can say something to her? Here is the exact letter (with wierd grammar and all) i can attribute it to her being a bad writer, or just maybe not knowin gme well enough (which is not really the case)

I met ### in December 2004 at my Dental Office. She volunteered and shadowed my general practice. ### has strong talent that would be an asset to the dental field. Her research and extra curricular activities address her desire to educate and help others.

I would assess ### emotional maturity as above average for her age, ### has consulted with me on her senior research project combining dentistry and the community. I was also impressed on how ### handled stressful situations, she was calm and collect provided sensitive to the patient when patients were distressed.

I am certain if you select ### for enrollment in your dental program she will prove herself to be a great asset to your school. She is energetic, inquisitive, and self-motivated. ### has demonstrated the intangible characteristic of determination and maintains all the necessary attributes that will insure her success in the dental program as well as the dental field.

WHAT DO I DO!?!?!

i dont want to submit that letter!! and i was lucky that i got a chance to see it! is it really that bad? can i say something, please help!

i fail to see what is "crappy" at all, the letter seems to sing your talents. granted, it could be more personable, but some ppl just write like that. either way, the letter is very much to the point and professional.

 

[Tooth Fixer]

That's a pretty good letter, what else can they say about you. Just about everything is said in there.

 

[toofache32]

It could be much worse:

Dear AdCom:

Admit Toofache32 to your program at your own risk. While shadowing me he was extremely obnoxious, annoying, and always hung-over. On several occasions he came in late. Then he shagged my hygienist. In the chair. I do not recommend this student under any circumstances as he will be an embaressment to our profession.

Sincerely yours,

...

 

[ISU_Steve]

It could be much worse:

Dear AdCom:

Admit Toofache32 to your program at your own risk. While shadowing me he was extremely obnoxious, annoying, and always hung-over. On several occasions he came in late. Then he shagged my hygienist. In the chair. I do not recommend this student under any circumstances as he will be an embaressment to our profession.

Sincerely yours,

...

Wow, you made such a wonderful impression, no wonder you're an OMS resident. I fail to see anything negative about your LOR Toofache. 👍

 

[fishindr]

I was able to see the rec letter that my dentist wrote for me, but it seems like it is kinda crappy. I know I shouldnt be a picky person etc, but I dont know what to do about it, and I have no choice but to submit it. Do you think I can say something to her? Here is the exact letter (with wierd grammar and all) i can attribute it to her being a bad writer, or just maybe not knowin gme well enough (which is not really the case)

I met ### in December 2004 at my Dental Office. She volunteered and shadowed my general practice. ### has strong talent that would be an asset to the dental field. Her research and extra curricular activities address her desire to educate and help others.

I would assess ### emotional maturity as above average for her age, ### has consulted with me on her senior research project combining dentistry and the community. I was also impressed on how ### handled stressful situations, she was calm and collect provided sensitive to the patient when patients were distressed.

I am certain if you select ### for enrollment in your dental program she will prove herself to be a great asset to your school. She is energetic, inquisitive, and self-motivated. ### has demonstrated the intangible characteristic of determination and maintains all the necessary attributes that will insure her success in the dental program as well as the dental field.

WHAT DO I DO!?!?!

i dont want to submit that letter!! and i was lucky that i got a chance to see it! is it really that bad? can i say something, please help!

I know it's already been said, but that sounds like a pretty good letter to me. Honestly, from talking to the Dean, the Dean of Admissions and about half of the admissions committee of my state school over the past year, they aren't really looking for a 3 page letter that goes on and on about how great you are. They are dentists themselves (the ad coms) and they realize that the people writing these letters are busy and are only really doing it as a favor to you. The simple fact that someone in the profession would take to time to write a letter for you already says something about you.

 

[Sprgrover]

It might read like a page from the IRS tax code, but I also read nothing but positive remarks. You're fine - go ahead and submit it. 🙂

 

[ackbar]

there are 3 types of letters:

letters that hurt you: "this applicant is an idiot"
letters that just satisfy the letters requirement and will not really help you or harm you: 99% of the letters sent on applicants behalf, almost all positively glowing, etc (the letter OP asked about falls into this)
letters that actually do help you: letter writer has significant clout at the school or is a distinguished persona

 

[Sweeti8286]

This is actually a good LoR--submit it without any worries!

 

[jk5177]

1905:

The letter of rec is fine. It is anxious to have a low GPA, so you want an awesome LOR to make up for it, but I think one can only do so much.

If you really want to add more to it. Remodify the essay, send it to essayedge and have them take a read, then return to the dentist with the new letter for signature. A caveat is that this may piss the dentist off for questioning his/her writing ability; but it may not - depends on the personality of the dentist.

A plus side of having a short letter, is that people usually rather read something that is short than long. If the adcom see this short letter, there is a good chance it will be read.

 

[Darksunshine]

It might read like a page from the IRS tax code, but I also read nothing but positive remarks. You're fine - go ahead and submit it. 🙂

LOL, true, but the letter doesn't "sound" (insert read) negative to me.

 

[DREDAY]

Okay, I would like to add to this list a concern/complaint about a LOR I received from a professor in biology. I ask the prof for a LOR and he agreed. I've had the opportunity to read the letter. It is an excellent letter with high marks, specifics, and his personal opinion about my future success etc. But he mentions in the letter that I spent several hours after lab speaking with him about "creationism vs. evolution" and that "I was very interested in finding argument againsts creationist." The problem is that (a) I only asked him what he thought about the whole debate, and (b) I mentioned to him some flaws that I noticed in some of the argumentation that is presented for a young earth. I never actually informed him of my own views or intention. So in the LOR he makes it sound like I'm some skeptic out to get creationists. The problem is that I'm applying to LOMA LINDA and one of my LOR is from a religous leader. So I'm concerned that (a) my professor's letter will make it appear that I'm non-religous and/or and hence lessen my chance with this school or that the rest of my LORs will look inconsistent with his. What do you guys think?

Yeah, if you are really interested in loma linda i would not send this letter there. i would send it to all your schools but loma linda. Try to find another prof who would write you a letter of rec that would replace that one for loma linda.

 

[Mr.E]

Yeah, if you are really interested in loma linda i would not send this letter there. i would send it to all your schools but loma linda. Try to find another prof who would write you a letter of rec that would replace that one for loma linda.

I was hoping to send the LOR to AADSAS and have them distribute it to the varying school; but having this comment in the letter makes me worry that I will come off as a person who is argumentative, especially with LOMA LINDA. Is there anyway to request that AADSAS send the LOR to every school but LOMA LINDA?

 

[Darksunshine]

I was hoping to send the LOR to AADSAS and have them distribute it to the varying school; but having this comment in the letter makes me worry that I will come off as a person who is argumentative, especially with LOMA LINDA. Is there anyway to request that AADSAS send the LOR to every school but LOMA LINDA?

I don't know if the AADSAS will withhold any letter from a school you applied to or not. Good question. I would place a call and ask them. You might have to figure out how to pass this letter on to the other schools or ask the prof. to remove the questionable passage to submit to all. Explain to him/her your reasons and they probably will be happy to help you.

 

[Dental Mom]

I actually like the letter. I don't see anything wrong with it.

I like that he talks about you been mature for your age.

Good luck!