Is it okay to ask for LOR from a class you got an A-?

[fogo]

Okay, this may seem ridiculous at first glance but bear with me. Usually, orgo classes at my university curve so that ~16% of the kids get an A, but this time the cutoff was way higher so that I imagine only 7-8% of the students received A's. As a result, I got an A- in the class.

Question is, will the fact that I received an A- lead to a weaker LOR than if I had received an A, even by the slightest margin? I want to be competitive for the top medical schools, and while I am serving as a TA for orgo (of which my prof is the coordinator), I cannot help but think that I might be better off asking another professor. That I received an A- makes me think that the LOR may be good, maybe somewhat strong, but not solid.

What are your thoughts?

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[Robin-jay]

I would think its fine. As long as they are willing to write you an excellent LOR, I don't think it matters.

Although, I'm not an expert on "top medical school" applications.

 

[HomeSkool]

I'm not an adcom (I'm actually just two cockatiels at a keyboard pretending to be human) but I conditionally think it should be fine. The question you want to ask yourself is Can this person write about me and not just my grade? If a professor knows nothing about you except that you were a face in the crowd and got an A, s/he can't write a letter that says anything more than "Student X is a great person and generic generic fluff fluff and makes me proud to be an educator." That's a meaningless letter -- anybody with the stats to apply to med school can get one of those. (Moreover, if all they can say is, "This person got an A," then so what? Your transcript can tell us that.) What you want is someone who can say, "This person built a relationship with me and I know XYZ about them that makes them special and a great candidate for med school." If you've been TAing under this chem professor's oversight, it's more likely you can get a meaningful letter.

Remember that it's OK to ask the professor very directly, "Can you write a strong letter in support of my application?" If the answer is "No," then thank him/her and move on having lost nothing. Being forward about it isn't going to make a professor say, "Well, I was gonna write a great letter, but s/he was open about having med school aspirations so now I'm gonna make the letter lukewarm."

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Just be clear when you ask your prof to write a letter that you are asking if they can write a good letter for you. You'll know if they don't feel they can write something good on your behalf, but I doubt an A- is going to be the reason they don't want to write one.

 

[Oso]

Yes, as long as they agree to write a strong letter. One of my letters was from a class I got an A- in (biochem).

 

[campfiredoughnut22]

A good letter comes not just from the grade you got in the course but also from the relationship you had with your professor! I think the fact that you are a TA for that very course is great and provides you with the opportunity to strengthen that relationship. I received a B+ in a course from a professor I asked for a recommendation from and made it into medical school. Similarly, I took other courses with that professor and received A's/became a TA so I can tell you with certainty that a grade solely does not reflect on the quality of the letter. You have to ask yourself if that professor knows enough about you to write a strong one.

 

[mscandy]

I think my strongest LOR comes from a professor whose class I scored A-. Two other LORs come from an A class and an A+ class. I didn't see the letters by any chance, but I personally had a great relationship with my A- class professor. He knows me and my life outside classroom. He also clearly said he would write a specific letter for my app, whereas the other two professors said they had templates...
There's nothing wrong with asking an A-class professor, as long as you are sure that they can write a strong one that will boost your app

 

[Doctor-S]

Okay, this may seem ridiculous at first glance but bear with me. Usually, orgo classes at my university curve so that ~16% of the kids get an A, but this time the cutoff was way higher so that I imagine only 7-8% of the students received A's. As a result, I got an A- in the class.

Question is, will the fact that I received an A- lead to a weaker LOR than if I had received an A, even by the slightest margin? I want to be competitive for the top medical schools, and while I am serving as a TA for orgo (of which my prof is the coordinator), I cannot help but think that I might be better off asking another professor. That I received an A- makes me think that the LOR may be good, maybe somewhat strong, but not solid.

What are your thoughts?

I am not fixated on an A- grade; especially since I am aware that the criteria and assessment of "A-letter grades" varies between universities and colleges. In other words, A+, A and A- letter grades are plentiful in the pre-med student world.

Instead, I am keenly interested in reading the "substance" of your application and "why" you are a stellar rock star applicant to medical school.

Since you're currently TA-ing for the o-chem professor who assigned your A- grade, it is advisable to be proactive and to develop a strong relationship with the professor. Be a professional: ask the professor if she/he would be available to write a positive recommendation letter for you. If yes, it's your job to make sure the professor continues to "know you well" (i.e., has first-hand knowledge of your ability to succeed in medical school). Then, she/he can write a stellar LOR for you in which your merits as an aspiring medical student are clearly described and positively articulated in the LOR.

I wish you the best of success.

 

[greatplainsmed]

I applied with a 4.0 undergrad GPA and 3.77 grad gpa (one 5 credit B in notorious class). I made it a point to obtain an LoR from the professor from whom I received a B because she had high praise for me clinically and was willing to discuss how she would recommend me despite the grade. I felt that a letter of support from someone whose class I didn't do well in would reinforce letters from those I got A's with and show that I could be successful in multiple settings, not just one nook of courses.

 

[DameJulie]

Yes. Professors usually see A and A- in a very similar category in terms of grades. The real difference is those students with A+. That's the time professor are willing to praise more about their intelligence.