length of LOR

[bubbleyum]

i was wondering if you all had a general opininon of how long an LOR should be. of course we are not the ones writing it, but i guess i'm thinking the longer the better as long as it's not excessively long. (like at least one full page and over?) that would mean the recommender has more things to say about you and is enthusiastic right?

i never expected anything but the standard "short" LOR from my professors, but my LOR from volunteering i had high expectations for, especially as a non-traditional applicant. i poured my heart and soul into spending time there (volunteer place) and genuinely put a lot of effort into it. this was for 5-plus years out of my life, and even way before i even thought of going to medical school. so naturally i was expecting a stellar letter. the supervisor even volunteered beforehand to write me the letter and have the head-guy sign it as well.

when i went to my advisor's office yesterday, she checked her mail and opened the envelope in front of me. of course i didn't get to read the contents or anything, but i did get a glimpse of the paper. i was kind of shocked to see a really short letter, like half a page or maybe less! i am so disappointed. the cover letter i am writing for my boss's recommendation letter to be included in his packet is longer than that! and from what i hear, these LORs count for a whole lot and are relied on to get a picture of the type of person you are. now i feel like i just got a standard dry letter, saying "yeah she worked here as a volunteer for 5 years and did a good job as far as we can see." bleah. bummed out... a little mad too

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[shuey123]

One of my professors- a young guy- wrote about 3 lines....when I spoke to my dean about the composite....he almost ripped the paper.....and said " what is this? theres nothing I can do with it" ...

I think the standard is about the lengh of a business letter....you know like one page....good luck

 

[lexy10]

i had one letter from an english professor that was a full two pages, the only other one i saw was from a doctor which was just shy of a page, which i think is more the norm..

 

[firebird69guy]

Most of my letters are over a page, from what I saw in my committee interview.. I think the way to get these people to write good letters is to tell them what you want them to write.

Give them a nice information packet that reveals who you are, what you've done, your grades, transcripts, etc. and give them ample time to write something well. I always stressed: Quality over speed, take your time!!

Otherwise, that's what you're going to get: Billy got an A in my class and showed up to office hours every day with great questions. He would make a good doctor.



I know it's a little too late now, but... to the OP, let's hope that your writer made it short and very sweet. A lot can be said in a paragraph or two, and plus it really serves to verify what you did there. As for personality, I hope that will come through in your personal statement and secondary responses.

I wouldn't stress about it too much; you did what you could do. Many applicants get LORs from TAs and such, and dont even have community service or volunteer letters. You'll be fine.

 

[bubbleyum]

thanks. i guess i am just mad because there is nothing i can do about it, and i did do everytrhing i could beforehand. i went in to his office and discussed the importance of the letter, what the admissions committees are looking for, and gave him my resume and personal statement from amcas etc etc. he was an english major in college and likes to write, i am friends with his wife and everything, he usually writes really lengthy birthday cards to ppl too!

i was just really really shocked when i saw that short letter. and disappointed. after all the time and effort i put into my volunteering, i would expect them to put a little bit of effort into something that is so important to me. especially when he offered to write it before i even asked him... he could have at least written a standard "almost a page" letter if not something overly enthusiastic (2 pages.) i'm actually thinking it might be a negative that i spent 5 years of almost all my extra time there and i didn't make much of an impression or something! *rant*

 

[Overeducated]

I have no idea how long any of mine are... ignorance is bliss

 

[DRNNHA]

thanks. i guess i am just mad because there is nothing i can do about it, and i did do everytrhing i could beforehand. i went in to his office and discussed the importance of the letter, what the admissions committees are looking for, and gave him my resume and personal statement from amcas etc etc. he was an english major in college and likes to write, i am friends with his wife and everything, he usually writes really lengthy birthday cards to ppl too!

i was just really really shocked when i saw that short letter. and disappointed. after all the time and effort i put into my volunteering, i would expect them to put a little bit of effort into something that is so important to me. especially when he offered to write it before i even asked him... he could have at least written a standard "almost a page" letter if not something overly enthusiastic (2 pages.) i'm actually thinking it might be a negative that i spent 5 years of almost all my extra time there and i didn't make much of an impression or something! *rant*

Hey there,
I know how you feel. I don't really know how long my letters are. Some could be short. Certain professors do write short letters, but as long as they are full of flattering words, then the length shouldn't be a problem. If your letter wasn't not one or two lines, then it's ok. I know somebody, her supervisor wrote one line for her LOR. Yes, that was ridiculous.
Plus you will have other letters to back you up. Don't worry about it.