Do you guys think this could work? (LOR stuff)

Started by sleepinxlionhar
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sleepinxlionhar

sleepinxlionhar

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10+ Year Member
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So I work in a lab for workstudy, and my lab manager knows me pretty well in that I pay close attention to detail, and I could be trusted with more advance procedures...etc. So right now, I'm looking for one more science prof, LOR, and since the PI of the lab is a science professor, I think I might get a chance in this case. What I'm thinking is to ask my lab manager to write me a letter of rec, and see if she can get the professor to sign it, so I'll basically have my final science professor's LOR. I haven't taken any of the professor's courses though...I know it's different for each professor, like if they would do it or not, but I was wondering if anyone has done this?

And also, I have a letter of rec from my research post doc, and if the above case doesn't work out, I plan on trying to get one from my research PI. But I've been told that it wouldn't be that great because what my research PI will write would basically be the same as what my post doc would write. Any thoughts on that?
 
From what I've know, most schools are looking for letters from professors in lecture-based science courses as part of their "science professor requirement". The only exceptions are schools that explicitly say that your letter does not have to come from a science professor. Otherwise, I think these types of letters should be coming from profs you had class with. A letter from your PI would be a good idea... but it would not satisfy the science prof requirement either.
 
I see.. I did ask a lecture professor for one this quarter, but I have yet to take the final. What he told me was that, if I do ask him for one, he'll basically just write that I did well in the class, went to office hours, etc..like he said he couldn't put anything extraordinary about me. I mean, except that I did well on the class, and my ECs. He told me that it was better if it was from a prof that knew me better on a personal basis.

I also have friends who got LORs from their PI's, and they said it basically counted as a science prof letter. I'm not trying to discredit you UCLAdds101, but I'm just telling what I've heard.

Cool, you're from UCLA? I'm from UCI, haha.
 
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That's cool. Yeah, if it worked out for your friends, then you should be ok. For example, I talked to some of the deans at the UCLA d school and they said they could care less. Just as long as the writer knows you well and can speak confidently on your behalf. But they also told me that other schools might be a little more strict regarding where the letter came from (i.e., lecture-based prof). So i guess it just depends on what the specific schools that youre applying to want. It also says on most of their websites; they'll usually specify how strict they are about LOR writers.

UCI? That's cool. Ive been working at a couple of dental offices in Orange, kind of by there. So i try to go down there a lot.
 
Well, the ones I've talked to regarding the LORs are for like pharm, or like med school. Yeah, I've noticed how some schools require 3 LORs from science prof, but some like UCLA doesn't care where the LORs come from..etc. So I'm just trying to satisfy as much LORs for different schools as I can. Heck, if I knew that I could get into UCLA dental school, I wouldn't be sweating so much about this.

Do you volunteer at SOS?
 
sleepinxlionhar said:
...Heck, if I knew that I could get into UCLA dental school, I wouldn't be sweating so much about this.

Do you volunteer at SOS?
Click to expand...

Are you talking about SOS=Share Our Selves? If you are, I've never worked with them before. Do you volunteer there?

And also, if you want to know your chances at UCLA SOD, I can give you a good idea (just in case you'd like to know). Ive consulted pretty extensively with adcomms here and ive got a pretty good idea about roughly what many of them look for (some of them have been pretty specific). You can even PM me if you want. Who knows?... you might have a better chance than you think, if your interested. Im pretty sure we have a good number of Anteaters in our d school right now...
 
Yup, I was referring to Share our selves. Nope, I don't volunteer there, I was just wondering because it's pretty well known around this area.

Cool! PM sent, thanks 😀
 
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