Getting LORs- Advice needed

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Simran1031

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  1. Pre-Medical
I graduated May 2008 and here are the people I am considering getting my recs from. I was wondering if I should proceed by requesting a letter from all of the people I am considering and send them accordingly based on the school I am applying to. Here are my choices:
1. adviser #1- knows me extremely well and was my main adviser for my senior thesis, has also been my professor in medical anthropology classes- I feel she would write me a raving rec. and she is a definite
2. adviser#2- knows me extremely well and was my second adviser for my thesis, I have taken a class with him and he is a definite as well since he has known me well since 2nd yr
3. organic chem professor- I feel that I know him considerably well and I did well in his class. The only problem is that I took the class as a second year and now it has also been a year since I graduated. I know this is a definite in regards to getting a science letter of recommendation but I am not even sure how to approach this situation, I was going to send him an email just as an introduction and then going down to school to meet him and give him a few items from my application but feeling very awkward about this one.
4. this is where it gets tricky- I need atleast 2 science recs..I think that my organic chemistry lab TA would write me a good letter of recommendation, he was very helpful and i worked very closely with him..the only problem is that I would probably need to get this co-signed by the main orgo lab teacher who is completely horrendous and i am not sure if he will sign off on it, first because most of the students never really interacted with him and second become i did bad 2nd semester in his exam.
5. i already approached by physics ta who politely says she doesnt know enouhg about me to write one which is fine, so I am wondering if I should get a physics lab ta to write one for me. This one is tricky because physics was definitely my weaker subhects and it would be nice to have one but I am not sure if this letter would be strong just because I knew the ta well enouhg but not to the point hwere I think he would write me a stellar letter
6. i struggled a lot in physics and in the process got three different tutors at three different points during the year. I was wondering if I should get one of my tutors to write me a letter jsut to express that I was putting forth the effort, even though this doesnt count as an official science facutly letter, it may help my case.
7. after I graduated I got a job. I still have very good relationships with everyone at the company and I may go back to this company after finishing my mcats. I was consdiering getting a letter from my direct superviser who was teh director for my division. I strongly think she would write me a stellar letter.
8. at this same job, one of my clients was a health company, and i was very close to the executive director and I worked a lot wioth CMEs, abstracts, and other medically related projects. i think she would also write me a stellar letter.
9. freshmen yr i worked in a lab for a year and had a close relationship with my direct superviser, she has written me a letter before for a summer internship but I was thinking getting someone I did research with would help. the only thing is that this was now almost 5 years ago, how do I even begin this without sounding awkward or weird.
10. in terms of the science recommendation the only other one I can think of is from a TA who taught a bio class but then having it co-signed by the professor who taught the class. not sure if the letter will be stellar but it will be an ok letter.
11. i did the smdep program and I think I got to know a few professors really well through this program, I could get a professor to write me a stellar letter from this but it would jsut be from a summer experience
12. I volunteered in the ER for a yr and the professor that started this class that allowed this volunteering is very nice has offered to write me a letter, I also this this would be a strong letter.
13. I did an internship 2 summers ago and worked closely with teh CEO of the company that worked on socioeconomic developement and I think he would also write me a good letter
so here is my question- do I approach all of these people for a letter, keep it in interfolio and send the letters accordingly depending on the school? what should I do about the second science letter, should I get the physics ta, orgo ta or the bio class ta? Also, for people I havent interacted with a few years now, what is the best way to approach that scenario without coming across as overbearing, wierd or wtvr else..

any advice would be helpful. I am trying to get my LORs straightened out as soon as possible. sorry for posting such a long post!! 😕
 
Just pick the 5 or 6 who know you the best and would write you a great letter. Whatever you decide, make sure you have 2 science professors, 1 non-science professor, and 1 research letter (if you've done research). Also throw in a community service letter for good measure, and check with the schools at which you're applying to verify these will meet the requirements. Schools will be annoyed if you send them 13+ letters.
 
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