Do you really need 2 science rec letters from profs that've taught you?

[bozz]

or is it simply "Recommended"

I can only seem to get 1 from a science teacher who actually taught me... I can obtain 4 in total, 1 from rsch, 1 from science class, 1 from volunteering, 1 from non-science teacher

I asked my pre-med advisor about this.. and he kept saying that I needed 2 "science" LORs and that it could be from anyone

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[brianmartin]

Yea you should probably get 2 because I think there are a few schools that require it.

What an arbitrary rule though...most letters from science faculty are useless unless you worked with them personally. Yet you still "have to get them"...

 

[DreamyKid]

Wait why must they have "taught' you?

Why can't get you get 2 LOR from lets say, 2 PI's or something? (they're science...)

 

[bozz]

Wait why must they have "taught' you?

Why can't get you get 2 LOR from lets say, 2 PI's or something? (they're science...)

that's what I was thinking.. and it'd make more sense @_@

 

[TheRealMD]

or is it simply "Recommended"

I can only seem to get 1 from a science teacher who actually taught me... I can obtain 4 in total, 1 from rsch, 1 from science class, 1 from volunteering, 1 from non-science teacher

I asked my pre-med advisor about this.. and he kept saying that I needed 2 "science" LORs and that it could be from anyone

Assuming the research letter comes from an actual faculty member (PhD) and not a graduate student, you might be able to fudge the "science" requirement at most schools, though I hope you've had a lot of interaction from the professor who will be writing for you.

 

[Rotinaj1985]

I had four science faculty members write me a letter of recommendation. One taught me, two were research (four years) and one I worked for as a Gen Chem TA (3 semesters).

One school that wanted two said it was not good enough. For whatever reason, this school thought that someone who had me in a class for one semester, out of 200 other students knew me better than the people I had worked alongside on a day to day basis. What makes it worse, the medical school was part of the University I worked at and got my BS and MS degree. My other letter writers were very angry by being told they weren't qualified...


So....

 

[Luxian]

Many schools allow you to get a waiver or explain why you don't have two science prof recs. However, there are a few schools that give you absolutely no slack. Emory's one of them. In my opinion, it's more important to have really good recommendations than to have them specifically from science profs. (I'd take a glowing rec from a research supervisor over a mediocre rec from a bio prof any day.) So if you're willing to lose a very few schools, I say you are in good shape.

 

[Brotherstroke]

So if I am applying for the fall 2009 admission cycle.....and plan on having my research adviser give me a LOR is that going to not be accepted? He will be my teacher for a class that he is teaching in fall 2008....does that count?

 

[shiftingmirage]

Does your school give you a research class? At my school we have CHE 397, Research. It's a class where you do research for a quarter, submit a final paper, and get 4 credit hours and an official grade. If your school has something similar, I would go for that, that way you officially had your research advisor for a class.

 

[MossPoh]

I feel the pain. I came to a different school to do my science pre-reqs. I'm only here for about a year, yet I'm supposed to get to know professors in these large classes? I'm not staying around for a bunch of upperlevel profs. I can understand wanting to gain insight into your academic potential and personality, but I don't see how my psu professors in information science or german are worth less. Yes, medical school is science based, but some people don't take much more than the requirements and those requirements may be taught by TAs or in massive lecture halls. I couldn't go to office hours because I had to drive an hour home and god forbid, take care of my 97 year old grandmother. Crazy I know....😛

 

[Drogba]

My 2 science recs will be my weakest LORS because despite the fact I've done well in the classes these professor don't really know a lot about me. Faculty that you have not directly worked with have limited experience to draw on to write a recommendation. All they can really comment on is your grade, your level of enthusiasm and your general attitude. Compare this to professors that you've worked with over the course of years and you are going to see a much more generic letter.

 

[LizzyM]

My 2 science recs will be my weakest LORS because despite the fact I've done well in the classes these professor don't really know a lot about me. Faculty that you have not directly worked with have limited experience to draw on to write a recommendation. All they can really comment on is your grade, your level of enthusiasm and your general attitude. Compare this to professors that you've worked with over the course of years and you are going to see a much more generic letter.

I think that these letters are supposed to give some clue as to how you'll work out in the pre-clinical years as they are comparable... big classes, minimal contact with the instructors.

I agree, they aren't great character references or indicative of your abilities in the lab or the workplace but I think that the schools that ask for them are looking for some other attributes.

Some schools will permit you to substitute a committee letter.

 

[riverwoman1040]

Wait why must they have "taught' you?

Why can't get you get 2 LOR from lets say, 2 PI's or something? (they're science...)

I did this for one of mine. I took a 2 credit independent study with my PI. Biochem 9834738 or some crap. It worked just fine, and I actually think it was better since he knew me whereas my genchem professors didn't have a clue who I was.

 

[bozz]

Damn.. I guess I'll have to be obnoxious and start barging in on teachers during office hours 😛

 

[daaarn]

So if I am applying for the fall 2009 admission cycle.....and plan on having my research adviser give me a LOR is that going to not be accepted? He will be my teacher for a class that he is teaching in fall 2008....does that count?

I have a similar question. I took a class where the listed teacher ended up not actually teaching the course. Instead, his TA's ended up teaching b/c he became indisposed that term. I managed to speak with him and he agreed to write me a LoR. Now, a lot of schools seem to leave it pretty open when they require 2 LoR from science faculty, but some are more specific. Would he still count as a letter-writer, despite not having taught my class that one semester?

Also, how do we tell the schools that a letter is from a science or a non-science teacher? Does the letter-writer have to specifically say that, or is there a place on the app where we state what kind of a letter it is?

 

[yy930]

Coming from a science major, I have been finding it difficult to get an Arts letter (a good one).

 

[Pedsbro]

I have a similar question. I took a class where the listed teacher ended up not actually teaching the course. Instead, his TA's ended up teaching b/c he became indisposed that term. I managed to speak with him and he agreed to write me a LoR. Now, a lot of schools seem to leave it pretty open when they require 2 LoR from science faculty, but some are more specific. Would he still count as a letter-writer, despite not having taught my class that one semester?

Also, how do we tell the schools that a letter is from a science or a non-science teacher? Does the letter-writer have to specifically say that, or is there a place on the app where we state what kind of a letter it is?

I think it would be obvious to the letter writer that he or she say in the letter what class they had you in....it'd be pretty suspicious to med schools if they do not. I've always thought 2 science letters meant two letters from science professor that have actually taught you in a class...I've never heard any other interpretation of that until reading this post. Letters from other people...PIs, profs you did research or volunteered with, employers, etc are fine, but they never substitute for those 2 sci letters and 1 non-sci letter that some schools require. Just gotta make yourself known...go to office hours (make up something to talk about or get help on if you really don't need any), go to any seminars that the professor puts on, etc (aka KISS UP). It's really tough to go back months (even years) after you've had a professor and ask him/her for a letter ( i had to do this for a second sci letter and probably didn't get a good letter from the guy)..so start early.

 

[ghostfoot]

Coming from a science major, I have been finding it difficult to get an Arts letter (a good one).

How many schools demand a non-science letter and how "non-science" does it have to be?

I took a sociology class recently, but it was in the psychology dept. Does that count?

 

[Pedsbro]

How many schools demand a non-science letter and how "non-science" does it have to be?

I took a sociology class recently, but it was in the psychology dept. Does that count?

I would consider that non-science...dept doesn't matter, only the class.

 

[LizzyM]

I have a similar question. I took a class where the listed teacher ended up not actually teaching the course. Instead, his TA's ended up teaching b/c he became indisposed that term. I managed to speak with him and he agreed to write me a LoR. Now, a lot of schools seem to leave it pretty open when they require 2 LoR from science faculty, but some are more specific. Would he still count as a letter-writer, despite not having taught my class that one semester?

He's not going to be able to write much. I would expect that he'll consult with the TA and state in the letter that he was the professor but the TA ended up teaching and reports that you did x and y. He might consult the grade book and write about how you did on the assignments, mid-term, final, etc. Often the LOR will note that you had the 2nd highest grade on the final or that you were among the top 5% of the class that year or that you didn't do so well on x but you worked hard and pulled your grade up to ....

You could do worse.

Also, how do we tell the schools that a letter is from a science or a non-science teacher? Does the letter-writer have to specifically say that, or is there a place on the app where we state what kind of a letter it is?

The typical closing for a LOR states the writer's name, academic title (Professor, Associate Professor, Lecturer, etc), and department so it is immediately obvious that the writer is a science or non-science professor or someone else.