Do you really need a LOR for every major activity?

[funshine]

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Hey guys,

Yet another annoying question from funshine.
I've been president of 2 organizations (ethnic/cultural), but they were completely student-run, and so I wouldn't have any "adult-advisor" to back it up with a LOR.

I didn't think it was important, until I read from the phius site that apparently you need to provide a contact person for each LOR?! (See below).

"For each activity you need to provide: (max 510 characters)

-your title
-hrs/wk
-date began/ended
-org name
-contact name/title/country/state/city



Letters of recommendation

All major experiences should have a letter of recommendation to back them up. For instance, if you were student body president, there should be a dean or other advisor who can say you did a great job, made significant impacts on campus, etc."

I mean, yeah, technically i could go to the dean of student life on my campus and ask him to write a rec. But I've met with him 2 times the whole 4 years I've been here, and they were both about funding issues!!

Did any of you run into a similar problem during the AMCAS app process?

 

[MWillie]

I think you'll be OK, it will make no difference.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Yeah, I have never heard of this before. There should be somoene they can contact just to make sure you actually were part of what you say you were, but you odn't need a letter from each activity. For most people, that would mean you have way to many LOR. Its disputed whether that contact info is even important...there are some stories of schools checking witht he contacts, but from what I know its not a common occurence.

 

[acl3623]

amcas doesnt even ask for phone# or any contact info for ECs so i dont think that schools have access to info on your activities and such...which is why it is heard of that some people lie on their apps, but you could get burned if you interview and slip up. and i guess a school could go after you with the name of the person you give as a contact.
LORs are usually 2 science and 1 nonscience, almost always faculty...theres few schools that ask for character references from someone who knew you on a nonacademic setting.
so no, you dont need a LOR for every major activity. schools would go insane..

 

[Wiggy73]

Seriously now. We're talking about a website here, not the Gospel. Relax! The contact person is optional on AMCAS. And the LOR thing? Sure, if you were student body president, a letter from the dean of student life would make sense. But for the vast majority of us who weren't, we shouldn't take phius quite so literally. I think the best idea is to get great, solid letters from professors or advisors who know you well. As long as you have several of those, you're in good shape. I'm sure you'll be fine. 👍

 

[PostalWookie]

For things like research, you need the LORs. But for many other activities, it's just not possible. I volunteer at EMT, but the people at my neighborhood corps are barely literate and on campus, we're all students.