Letter of rec from a retake

[bananaz]

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I took organic chemistry last year and did pretty miserably (got a C and a C+), but I retook it over the summer and earned an A+ both terms. I asked one of my summer professors to write a letter for me and he agreed, but I realized that he doesn't know it was my second time taking the class. Is that something I need to tell him before he writes the letter or is it not important?

 

[theseeker4]

I took organic chemistry last year and did pretty miserably (got a C and a C+), but I retook it over the summer and earned an A+ both terms. I asked one of my summer professors to write a letter for me and he agreed, but I realized that he doesn't know it was my second time taking the class. Is that something I need to tell him before he writes the letter or is it not important?

Unless you took it with him the first time and he thinks you are someone else, I don't think you need to volunteer that information. He is writing the LOR based on his direct knowledge of your work in his class. The adcoms will already see you have re-taken the class, and it being a re-take shouldn't affect his assessment of you. Don't lie if he asks, obviously, but I don't see why you would need to go out of your way to inform him that you re-took the class.

 

[bananaz]

Unless you took it with him the first time and he thinks you are someone else, I don't think you need to volunteer that information. He is writing the LOR based on his direct knowledge of your work in his class. The adcoms will already see you have re-taken the class, and it being a re-take shouldn't affect his assessment of you. Don't lie if he asks, obviously, but I don't see why you would need to go out of your way to inform him that you re-took the class.

Alright, thanks. This was my thought as well, I just wanted to check that it wasn't something adcoms would expect to be addressed in the letter.