Do you think it's good idea to take a research project course to get a good LOR?

[Smooth Operater]

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I have a chance to do a research project this coming year, and it will be a great opportunity to get to know a professor personally in order to write a good LOR.

But I know that I will be spending most of time in the lab and it will not give me too much on studying to boost up my current low 3.26 GPA.

In your opinon, do you think it's worth it to do a research project "just" b/c I want good LOR from a professor? Or should I just take a bird course to boost up GPA, and ask for average LOR from professors who taught me. Thanks!

 

[HC_smiles]

is it possible for you to receive academic credit for ur research project? if you do an awesome job, you're likely to get an A which will boost your GPA if thats what you're worried about compromising. Also, profs are usually understanding about coursework while doing a research project. This could give your application a great boost by getting an awesome recommendation from a professor that experienced your work ethic first hand and on a personal basis rather than just an "Average" LOR

good luck!

 

[Smooth Operater]

yeah, I would receive academic credit for it. But doing a research project usually involve sacrifacing time to do well on other courses. Well, I gotta think through this out carefully.

 

[Amalgam X]

I say do the research project. Depending on the amount of work you do, you might even get a chance to get your name in publications as well. Also in the end you'll have a stronger letter of rec, which can really help. Taking just 1 extra class and doing well in it won't boost your gpa by that much since you'll have tons of credit by the time you apply. I've been doing research in a lab for the last 3 yrs and I love it. My PI has written me tons of letters of recs for scholarships, jobs, and dental school and also put my name on several publications. It will take up so time but its managable. Just learn to balance. So go for it! 👍

 

[jackbauer!]

do the research project AND do well in your classes. research will def. boost your application and assuming you do well (3.5+) in your other classes it will prove you can handle the load of dental school.

dooooooo it,
jb!

 

[smnop]

i'm in the same situation u r...but i'm doing research in the fall...i usually always take 19 credits but now i'm going to take 16 so i'll have time for the research..my gpa is 3.3..

i want something from my application to stand out...and the good part about my research is that i'm doing it in the school that i want to go to😀

but i think u should definitely do it also...there's a section on aadsas that asks u if u've done any research..maybe that can help u cover up slightly for ur low gpa

 

[dentaldentist]

Research definitly looks good on the application. If you risk lowering your GPA, then its not worth it. But if you can manage getting solid grades this semester AND doing the research then that will be a huge plus for your application, plus you will get a good LOR out of it. I would go for it, but dont use it as an excuse for lower grades. Good luck.

 

[Fiery360]

I think you should do the research too. It'll definitely make your application look stronger, especially if you can get a publication out of it. If you can choose how much academic credit you want to receive maybe go for 2 credits rather than 3. This way it would be a few hours less per week spent in the lab. Good luck!

 

[Passionzfruit]

I was hesitant at first whether or not to do a senior thesis in my 4th year for the same reasons you stated but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I ended up getting an A+ on it and because it was worth 3 courses, it tripley helped me GPA 🙂
Good luck!