Getting a LOR from prof I might get a B+ in

[NorCalPremed]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all,

I'm not a science major and I'm seeking to fulfill 2 science LORs to cover most of my bases when applying to med school in the future. Already got a great one from an orgo prof I did extremely well with, and seeking to do the same with a biochem class I'm currently taking. Been going to office hours, asking insightful questions and the like, and she knows me well enough that I believe she'd write good things about me. The issue I have is that I currently stand to get a B+ or an A- in her class. If I were more confident that I'd come out with an A-/A I wouldn't be asking this question, but as it stands I'm still waiting on some test scores. I wanted to ask her for a LOR before the quarter ends so that she'll be able to write one while I'm still fresh in her memory (is this the best idea?), but if I don't do so hot in the class, I'm worried about repercussions if the letter reflects upon me getting a poor grade. As mentioned before, I'm not a sci major so I'm running out of options for science prof LORs. I do have a good gpa/resume (3.9+) and can provide that to her if you all think that would be a good idea to give to a LOR writer. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[SnakeOilForSale]

Getting a good grade in the class doesn't guarantee a good letter just as much as getting a not so good grade guarantees a bad letter. The letter isn't about your grade: it's about you. If you feel your instructor knows you well and you have a bond with her, then she's likely to write you a strong letter.

 

[knv2u]

As long as she can write candidly and persuasively to advocate for your candidacy, I don't think it matters. It is certainly better to have a quality letter from her than a superficial letter from a professor that gave you an A.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I got a letter from a professor that gave me a B and I think it helped because in the letter he spoke well of me and said that I improved as the semester went and did better in those last tests compared to some of the A students.

 

[parkjisung]

I agree with everyone here. Both of my science letters were from classes that I have a B+ in, and I am certain that they have helped me a lot this application cycle. However, I knew these professors well compared to other classes that I probably did better on. So yeah, as long as she can write and reccomend you and your character, it's solid! 🙂 And if you're still iffy, when you ask your professor for a letter, you can also ask if you can come into her office to speak with her as well so she can get to know you even better on a personal level beyond the class.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

Agree with everyone else. Grades are less important for letters. Their purpose is to give insight into your character and suitability for medicine. The transcript tells the story of your grades well enough.

 

[bambam92]

I had my gen chem II professor write me an LOR because I got an A in the class. She essentially wrote, "….. performed very strongly in my course. In fact he consistently averaged the highest grades on exams. Got an A..blahblahblah." What an AWFUL LOR, she couldn't write anything about ME, just my class performance. Even though I sent her my resume. Needless to say I didn't get int that summer research program. In short it was totally my fault. But getting an A doesn't mean you will get a strong LOR from a prof.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

I had my gen chem II professor write me an LOR because I got an A in the class. She essentially wrote, "….. performed very strongly in my course. In fact he consistently averaged the highest grades on exams. Got an A..blahblahblah." What an AWFUL LOR, she couldn't write anything about ME, just my class performance. Even though I sent her my resume. Needless to say I didn't get int that summer research program. In short it was totally my fault. But getting an A doesn't mean you will get a strong LOR from a prof.

Sorry to use you as an example, but IMO we shouldn't be sending resumes to our prospective letter writers. The letter should be about our character/personality and suitability for medicine based upon direct observation of us. I don't think admissions committee members need or want to read about our accomplishments in the letter when they can easily skim our AMCAS primaries and school secondaries.

 

[bambam92]

Sorry to use you as an example, but IMO we shouldn't be sending resumes to our prospective letter writers. The letter should be about our character/personality and suitability for medicine based upon direct observation of us. I don't think admissions committee members need or want to read about our accomplishments in the letter when they can easily skim our AMCAS primaries and school secondaries.

Some Professors request it (as this one did) when writing an LOR. It helps them get a broader scope of what your activities are like, volunteering, other interests, employment, etc. This was for a summer research program so different than MD application. But pretty common for this to happen I believe.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

Yeah, not saying it's not common, there were a few that requested my resume as well, but in those cases you really need to explain why you are requesting their opinion specifically. Explaining in the email request in a couple of paragraphs what personality traits you hope they can comment on (that they have directly observed in you), which presumably is different for your other writers, will actually guide their writing and make it much easier for them to write a strong letter so that you avoid situations like yours in the future. It will also prevent them from subconsciously writing about your accomplishments (since they would have read your resume/CV), and instead keep them focused on writing about you.

 

[chenzt]

One of my better letters (at least according to my premed advisor) was from a professor that I received a C in. It required a 5-min office hour meeting with him and the letter was done a month later. Didn't require me to send him transcript, resume, CV etc. I think it's key to get to that comfort level.

 

[NorCalPremed]

so I asked my biochem prof "do you know me well enough to write a strong recommendation letter and would you be willing to do so?" and she said that she usually waits until final grades are out and to come back early next quarter. She also said the strength of the letter would be correlated to the grade I get. I know that some professors follow this policy and it's a perfectly reasonable one, but I'm wondering if I should abandon her as an option for LOR. She seemed to take my request for a "strong" letter to only mean that it would be good letter (good meaning positive). This sounds like it would be a bit weak/generic, as I imagine her letter saying: student X got an A in my class, did well on the midterms, attended office hours frequently, blah blah. She does know me quite well, but I'm starting to question how much she'd be able to advocate for my character and other traits you can't find on a transcript. Any further advice? Much appreciated.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

Abandon.

Edit: The fact that she's unwilling to go to bat for you before a final grade is telling.

 

[NorCalPremed]

Given that my first ochem LOR is pretty good, do I necessarily have to get a glowing 2nd letter? I'm running out of good science prof candidates... I really don't like this part of the app process

 

[dayman]

In reality you want both LORs to be as strong as possible.

I had a professor who gave me an A- in a course write me an LOR and he asked me when we discussed the letter why I didn't earn an A from the course and what I would do differently. I feel like I was able to give a strong answer to this question and as a result got a very strong letter from the professor who was able to speak towards my character as well as my academic ability.