Ghost writing your LOR

[iceman132]

My doctor told me to write my own LOR and give it to him.

Any tips or hints? I'm not the greatest writer in the world so some help would be fantastic.

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[CodeBlu]

My doctor told me to write my own LOR and give it to him.

Any tips or hints? I'm not the greatest writer in the world so some help would be fantastic.

Uhhhh... find another LOR writer.

Why? Cuz this person doesn't know you well enough to write you a strong letter.

Good luck!

 

[mattieenigmatic]

/quote

 

[BrightandClear]

This is common in the medical world, although usually farther along the pipeline. If you've never done it before, have someone else write one for you and then edit from there. It's easy to spot a letter written by an applicant if you have other examples of their writing and they're inexperienced at it.

This is also a good reason why you should save copies of any LORs writers share with you. Then it becomes a matter of cutting and pasting, which is much easier.

That said, given the significance of the letter's intended use, you might consider finding another writer...

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Uhhhh... find another LOR writer.

Why? Cuz this person doesn't know you well enough to write you a strong letter.

Good luck!

my doctor told me to do the same and i have known her for 6 years.

OP- it straight up sucks. i am being honest. it is hard and will make you feel like a giant tool.

 

[Blondiechick919]

I had the same thing happen to me. I work for one of the best LASIK surgeons in the world and he read my draft, made three changes, and signed the revised copy easy as pie. It was awkward writing about myself in the third person but worth it since technically nobody will know and you still get your LOR. If the person sounds genuinely busy and still up best about being a recommended to you, they will be ok with it. Nobody is going to sign their name to something that "they" wrote if they think it sucks. After I asked around, this is more common than i thought.

 

[NickNaylor]

This is a pretty common thing - it doesn't necessarily mean that the person doesn't know you well. More than likely it's because they don't want to spend time writing the letter.

Try and write the letter from the perspective of 1) a professor and 2) an admissions committee member. What would the professor realistically say about you? What do you think the admissions committee would find valuable? Don't brag too much, but don't write yourself a lukewarm letter. It's a delicate balance you have to strike. Keep in mind that the person that signs the letter will almost certainly read and edit it beforehand.

 

[BrightandClear]

Keep in mind that the person that signs the letter will almost certainly read and edit it beforehand.

IME, not so much.

If you're put in this position, I would not count on that advice.

 

[LizzyM]

These letters follow a formula:

First sentence states that one is pleased to write a letter of recommendation for [individual's name]. Obviously, it is important to have your name at the top of the body of the letter. The rest of the paragraph describes how long the writer has known you, the circumstances under which you first met, and whatever interactions you've had. (e.g. that he was your professor and later you served as a teaching assistant or lab assistant). If you've had continued contact after your regular meetings ended, that gets mentioned too (some people stay in touch for years with an advisor or mentor).

The next paragraph describes the activities in which you engaged as observed by the writer. Some writers will go on & on about what they cover in a course or the type of research they do in the lab. Some writers will cover how the applicant did grade-wise with quizes, tests, assignments or how much the applicant participated in class discussion or the topic and quality of a big written assignment or class presentation.

[Optional: a paragraph describing other activities that the writer knows of - because you told him - but that he didn't observe himself. It might open by saying that the applicant has been active on or off campus, etc, etc., or has been drivien in preparing for admission to med school (that's not too flattering if taken the wrong way) or something along those lines).]

The next paragraph covers a subjective assessment of the applicant's personal characteristics.

The final paragraph is a closing stating that the writer supports the applicant's application to medical school and usually says something nice about wishing that they were going into graduate school but they are well suited for medicine or that the writer would be happy to have the applicant as a doctor some day. Most end with something saying if you wish to speak to me you may call 000 000 0000.

 

[iceman132]

These letters follow a formula:

First sentence states that one is pleased to write a letter of recommendation for [individual's name]. Obviously, it is important to have your name at the top of the body of the letter. The rest of the paragraph describes how long the writer has known you, the circumstances under which you first met, and whatever interactions you've had. (e.g. that he was your professor and later you served as a teaching assistant or lab assistant). If you've had continued contact after your regular meetings ended, that gets mentioned too (some people stay in touch for years with an advisor or mentor).

The next paragraph describes the activities in which you engaged as observed by the writer. Some writers will go on & on about what they cover in a course or the type of research they do in the lab. Some writers will cover how the applicant did grade-wise with quizes, tests, assignments or how much the applicant participated in class discussion or the topic and quality of a big written assignment or class presentation.

[Optional: a paragraph describing other activities that the writer knows of - because you told him - but that he didn't observe himself. It might open by saying that the applicant has been active on or off campus, etc, etc., or has been drivien in preparing for admission to med school (that's not too flattering if taken the wrong way) or something along those lines).]

The next paragraph covers a subjective assessment of the applicant's personal characteristics.

The final paragraph is a closing stating that the writer supports the applicant's application to medical school and usually says something nice about wishing that they were going into graduate school but they are well suited for medicine or that the writer would be happy to have the applicant as a doctor some day. Most end with something saying if you wish to speak to me you may call 000 000 0000.

Thank you, this looks greart

 

[ponyo]

I think the most important aspects to ghostwriting your own LORs is to go just a bit over what they might have written for you and to write it well. You want them to realise that it's really polished, cohesive writing so they are reluctant to change it. Going too overboard will force them to edit a lot, which means some of your carefully-crafted words will go out the window. A really good ghostwritten LOR will call upon experiences and perspectives that the person might not have remembered but that, when brought to attention, actually improves their opinion of you as they're editing. You want them to think "hey I've never thought of him this way before, but that's so true!"