Letter of Rec from dental school prof

[toothstones123]

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Do you think a letter of rec from a dental school professor would be detrimental to my chances in getting in to other schools? obviously it would help for that dental school, but I don't want it to look like I am only committed to that school until I have all my options on the table. Thank you!

 

[dentisttobehopefully]

I think that if the letter is from a dentist you have shadowed and built a relationship with, it will not matter where they attended dental school. The dentist that wrote me a letter went to a school I didn't apply to. The letter itself and what they say about you will carry far more weight.

If the dentist is writing a more academically-inclined letter, I guess that would make things a bit different. I still think the most important thing is what they write about you though, not their academic history.

 

[Faefly]

Detrimental is a strong word.

My LOR was from Tufts alumni, still got rejected without interview from them lol.

 

[toothstones123]

I think that if the letter is from a dentist you have shadowed and built a relationship with, it will not matter where they attended dental school. The dentist that wrote me a letter went to a school I didn't apply to. The letter itself and what they say about you will carry far more weight.

If the dentist is writing a more academically-inclined letter, I guess that would make things a bit different. I still think the most important thing is what they write about you though, not their academic history.

Sorry, to clarify i mean that the LOR would be coming from a current full time faculty professor at X dental school who i had shadowing experience with and they offered to write me a letter. My question is how that would be perceived by other schools that i am applying to.
I also have a letter from a general dentist who i have had a longterm and meaningful interaction with!

 

[dent_wannabe]

Sorry, to clarify i mean that the LOR would be coming from a current full time faculty professor at X dental school who i had shadowing experience with and they offered to write me a letter. My question is how that would be perceived by other schools that i am applying to.
I also have a letter from a general dentist who i have had a longterm and meaningful interaction with!

Shouldn't matter. Most of my activities had a connection to my top choice dental school, yet I got wait listed at that school, but got acceptances to other schools. Point is, something in your application having some affiliation to a specific school should not affect your chances at another school either way.

What was your relationship to them? Like did you do research with them, shadow them, volunteer for them, etc.? What they have to say about you matters a lot more.

 

[zToothinator]

I had my PI from a dental school write a letter for me. I had multiple interviews and don’t think that other schools perceived it negatively. A couple even brought up the letter specifically and mentioned that it was a well written letter that spoke highly of me.

 

[OrphanageCaretaker]

Depends on their pull and their position. My LOR was from an OMFS that teaches at the school but that didn't mean anything when I applied my first time and got all rejections and no interviews.