Credentials of Letter Writers?

[Mobileyes]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi all,
Do the credentials of the letter writer matter to optometry schools? For instance, I have one letter from a science professor. For my next letter, would it be okay if I asked the graduate student who was the sole lecturer for a physics class? OR should I ask a professor of Nutrition, who I know would write me a pretty good letter, and who has degrees from both Cornell and Harvard, and has over 275 publications under her belt?

 

[optsuker]

I'd strongly discourage having a letter written by a TA.
As long as its a prof in the sciences, you should be OK & I wouldn't get hung up on if it a Nobel winner or rookie professor.

 

[DrSpontaneouz83]

Hi all,
Do the credentials of the letter writer matter to optometry schools? For instance, I have one letter from a science professor. For my next letter, would it be okay if I asked the graduate student who was the sole lecturer for a physics class? OR should I ask a professor of Nutrition, who I know would write me a pretty good letter, and who has degrees from both Cornell and Harvard, and has over 275 publications under her belt?

I would limit the letters to professors in which you sat in for a class or a doctor you may have worked for. The key is thatthe letters give a genuine description of you as a student/employee versus the generic template letters. I got carried away with my LOR's..I think I gave like 4: 1)OD 2) OMD 3) Calculus professor 4)Organic Chem professor. Good luck.

 

[Eyecrazy]

Does anyone know if it is okay to get a letter from a professor who is not at your primary institution? For example, if I took Organic Chem at another 4-year university over the summer, would it look bad if I got one from him? The reason I ask this is because I know he would probably write a good letter than any of my other professors, but I dont know if the letters actually have to be from somebody from your full-time university.

 

[DrSpontaneouz83]

Does anyone know if it is okay to get a letter from a professor who is not at your primary institution? For example, if I took Organic Chem at another 4-year university over the summer, would it look bad if I got one from him? The reason I ask this is because I know he would probably write a good letter than any of my other professors, but I dont know if the letters actually have to be from somebody from your full-time university.

As long as you took the class and the grade is on your transcript, I don't see why there would be any problem. I did 2 years at a community college and transferred into a 4 year university and graduated on time (saves a lot of money!), but I had a letters from both institutions. If anything, during interviews they said I had strong LORs.