letter of rec from coach?

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Is it ok to request a letter of rec from my tennis coach? He's known me for years and I was one of his better players. Not to mention I've paid him thousands of dollars over the years (so he'd write me a good letter I would hope). Just wondering how dental schools would view a letter from a person of this occupation.

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Is it ok to request a letter of rec from my tennis coach? He's known me for years and I was one of his better players. Not to mention I've paid him thousands of dollars over the years (so he'd write me a good letter I would hope). Just wondering how dental schools would view a letter from a person of this occupation.

High school coach or college coach? If it's a college coach I think it would be ok but maybe use it as that 4th letter. Make sure you still get a letter from a dentist, professor, and then probably another professor that you had a good mentor relationship with.
 
Speaking of letters of recommendation, how far in advance do we need to start asking for these? I suppose now is probably a good time.

Also, have you all had the chance to read your letter before it is submitted? I know that that specific person has to submit it but I am curious if it's a standard thing to get the opportunity to read it-- or if this is a cliche thing to do.
 
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High school coach or college coach? If it's a college coach I think it would be ok but maybe use it as that 4th letter. Make sure you still get a letter from a dentist, professor, and then probably another professor that you had a good mentor relationship with.

He was my personal coach before I started college. He would be my 3rd letter because the 3rd letter I was counting on turns out won't be a very good letter, so I've decided not to request it from him.
 
Honestly, as long as one of the others is from a prof and the other from a dentist that you shadowed, I do not see it as a problem to get a letter from your tennis coach. He will be likely to have a different perspective on your determination, hard work, etc, than your professors and dentist. With the thousands of applicants every year, it's hard to set yourself apart and I feel like getting a coach to write a letter would be something different.
 
A letter from a tennis coach would be about as valuable as one from your neighborhood mechanic.
 
i agree with doctoothache. personally, i just emailed all the professors that gave me A's and made sure to include at least 3 science (i used plant bio, biochemistry, gen bio, upper-division finance, and dentist). it might have been overkill, but that was exactly what i was looking for. there is no shame in maximizing the competitiveness of your application
 
It depends on where you apply to...But the places that I am applying, they all require two letters from science professors, and one other from a non-science professor. So just make sure you have the science professor letters, which I assume you do seeing that you stated that the coach would be your 3rd letter.
 
Most of the schools ask for two science Prof letter and some schools allow you ti substitute one with non-sci prof. Plus one for your dentist. And if you are doing rec letters through health proffession of your school you can not submit more than 3 letters.

I agree that your coach letter will not be as valuable to D schools and they may not even read it.
 
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