humanities LOR requirement???????????

[premedrod]

anyone have a list of the schools that require or strongly recommend a LOR from a humanities professor?

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[alwaysaangel]

I'm pretty sure most of them do. The general rule is to apply you need 2 sci, 1 humanity, and 1 other - that will cover you for almost any school in the country.

I doubt anyone has made a list and I think not having a non-science letter is going to SEVERELY limit you but if you think there is absolutely NO WAY you can get a humanities letter then you better start hitting each schools website and finding out their requirements so you can find out where you can apply.

Good luck.

 

[Quix]

anyone have a list of the schools that require or strongly recommend a LOR from a humanities professor?

Bwahahahahaha!!!

Oh, wait... that was supposed to be in *internal* comment...

 

[Slowpoke]

woah, i was unaware that you needed a humanities LOR

geezus this calls for more butt kissing?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[iduwanna]

Bwahahahahaha!!!

Oh, wait... that was supposed to be in *internal* comment...

What a jerk you are.

And OP, anything non-science works for 99% of the schools.

 

[phoenixsuns]

does public health count as non-science? just wondering

 

[iduwanna]

does public health count as non-science? just wondering

The vast majority of schools I dealt with considered bio, chem, physics, and math to be science and all others non-science.

It's unfortunate that some schools use the term "Humanities" when they mean "not bcpm."

 

[zogoto]

Does engineering count?

 

[schismal]

Hmm... I had three letters from biology professors and one from an MD, rather than a token humanities letter from a professor who didn't really know me. Maybe that held me back at some schools, but I was still accepted.

 

[tabletop]

Does engineering count?

I believe engineering is considered a science letter... even though it's not bcpm...

either way, you can definitely play it off as a science LOR, not so sure about the humanities (and I think if you tried to play it off as a humanities, then that might not go over so well with adcoms)


and to the person who asked about public health, look at the department that it's from. If it's from a non-science dept, then go for it.

 

[premedrod]

im worried since i so far only have a biochem phd, two MDs, Comm college phd bio teacher, and possibly someone ive worked with in a community program...i hope this is enough...any comments?

 

[Corvus Riley]

most require at least one non-science

most as in....you should get one

 

[Isoprop]

this is exactly why i took psyc this quarter. doesn't fulfill a damn thing. my advisor gave me a funny look when he looked at my schedule.

 

[justdoit31]

I used a history professor from a study abroad I went on then did research with- I honestly feel that the humanities professors have better writing skills than many science profs so they can give you great letters!

 

[magikdoc]

I used a history professor from a study abroad I went on then did research with- I honestly feel that the humanities professors have better writing skills than many science profs so they can give you great letters!

I agree. I had an interviewer read all 6 of my LOR in front of me and it turned out my one anthropology professor wrote the best LOR of the bunch! All the science profs. just wrote a paragraph... Definitely hit up those non-science because they write great LOR's.

 

[biophysicianai]

I agree. I had an interviewer read all 6 of my LOR in front of me and it turned out my one anthropology professor wrote the best LOR of the bunch! All the science profs. just wrote a paragraph... Definitely hit up those non-science because they write great LOR's

First off, I think if you elaborated a little bit more, this could belong in that "awkward interview moments" thread I'm very surprised that your interviewer did that!

I am not surprised, however, that your anthro prof wrote you a good rec. I got a rec from a prof who I did a year-long philosophy seminar course with - very small, discussion based, tons of participation required. Turns out, he loved me and I didn't even know it. When I asked for a letter, he told me that I out shined the other students by a long shot and that he'd be glad to write for me. He also said - and this is the huge part - that due to the 'pecking order' of academia, and the fact that he was a post doctoral fellow rather than a prof, he went out of his way to write an extra glowing and descriptive letter because he thought it was the only way to compensate for his lack of clout . I think that was an uninformed decision, as I doubt any adcom cares whether he's an assistant or associate prof or whatever, but I didn't object .

By contrast, I've done very well in competitive science courses whose profs ended up knowing my name despite having 400+ students. When I've approached them for med school recs, I've gotten responses like "well, I can do it, but all I'm really gonna say is that you got an A and I saw you in office hours"

In short, humanities profs are sometimes your best bet!

 

[tabletop]

By contrast, I've done very well in competitive science courses whose profs ended up knowing my name despite having 400+ students. When I've approached them for med school recs, I've gotten responses like "well, I can do it, but all I'm really gonna say is that you got an A and I saw you in office hours"

In short, humanities profs are sometimes your best bet!

OH good lord, that must be heartbreaking to hear.. I'd say I've really made a connection with one of my professors (public health), who says she really thinks highly of me, so I'm glad that's a non-sci prof.

I also have a science prof who I know fairly well and who I think would write a pretty good one.

For the other science though... I think I'm gonna have to take a prof who I don't know all too well. Do you think it's worse to not have a 2nd science rec or not to have a non-science rec?