I tried to get a unique LOR, but I failed

[deleted647690]

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I gave one of my EC activity letter writers a long document of personal experiences and information about how the activity prepared me for med school. I referenced the AAMC document of qualities and skills useful for LOR writers. I even met with her to further elaborate on the letter and how I thought she could frame it. She sent me her draft, and it still sounds generic.....I don't really want to tell her this. Should I just accept it as is? Perhaps I'll just take it and decide to not use it.
I understand though.....I guess it's difficult to get an amazing letter from some people unless you have an exceptionally strong relationship with them

 

[Goro]

I gave one of my EC activity letter writers a long document of personal experiences and information about how the activity prepared me for med school. I referenced the AAMC document of qualities and skills useful for LOR writers. I even met with her to further elaborate on the letter and how I thought she could frame it. She sent me her draft, and it still sounds generic.....I don't really want to tell her this. Should I just accept it as is? Perhaps I'll just take it and decide to not use it.
I understand though.....I guess it's difficult to get an amazing letter from some people unless you have an exceptionally strong relationship with them

Bingo.

 

[cactusman]

I gave one of my EC activity letter writers a long document of personal experiences and information about how the activity prepared me for med school. I referenced the AAMC document of qualities and skills useful for LOR writers. I even met with her to further elaborate on the letter and how I thought she could frame it. She sent me her draft, and it still sounds generic.....I don't really want to tell her this. Should I just accept it as is? Perhaps I'll just take it and decide to not use it.
I understand though.....I guess it's difficult to get an amazing letter from some people unless you have an exceptionally strong relationship with them

If you asked the right person and spent all this time and you still don't think the letter is unique enough, then you're unlikely to replace it with a letter which meets your goal. Just stick with it.

 

[Stumpyman]

The content/quality of the letter should be commensurate with experience. I think that's why I'm not a fan of self-written LORs.

 

[deleted647690]

She sent me the letter draft to look it over before it gets submitted. She made some minor typos that I feel nervous about correcting her on. Would you be offended if a younger student who asked you for a letter corrected you on some minor typos?

 

[blackroses]

She sent me the letter draft to look it over before it gets submitted. She made some minor typos that I feel nervous about correcting her on. Would you be offended if a younger student who asked you for a letter corrected you on some minor typos?

Do the typos make it hard to understand the meaning of the sentence or significantly detract from what the writer was trying to say?

 

[deleted647690]

Do the typos make it hard to understand the meaning of the sentence or significantly detract from what the writer was trying to say?

no, they are just very minor things like forgetting an 's' to make a word plural. They do not really detract from the meaning of the sentence.

 

[BombsAway]

If you got sent a draft, that seems like tacit approval to make corrections or even add suggestions. I had the opposite experience with one of mine where It went overboard with heaping on praise and some cringeworthy adjectives. I toned it down a bit and they accepted the corrections before submission.

 

[deleted647690]

Okay. I just don't want to come off as over meticulous or even arrogant/disrespectful by making minor corrections to what she made

 

[DokterMom]

Would a discrete and strategic bit of suggested editing on your part -- fix the typos, change a few words to bitter fit the 'why medicine?' angle -- Could it take the letter from generic to much, much better?

If so, since you were given the draft for review, you could certainly make the suggestions. If you were to make it super-easy for her to make your changes (but ALSO easy to refuse) then it's worth a shot.