Letter of recommendation! HELP ASAP!!!

[dentalwhiz]

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I'm going back to university in less than a week or so and was wondering how this LOR process works. I am taking the DAT next week and I'm not completely sure if I want to apply to dental school this semester. Do I ask for the letter now regardless? I did some research and saw some threads that said to send the letter to interfolio? But how does this work if I waive my right to the letter? I'm completely lost and I'm going to my dentist today to shadow for the last time this summer, if someone could please help me out, I'd be very grateful.

 

[Steeezy]

How does your university compile letters of rec? You can still ask your dentist to write the LOR and give him information on how to send it when you completely figure things out.

 

[dentalwhiz]

How does your university compile letters of rec? You can still ask your dentist to write the LOR and give him information on how to send it when you completely figure things out.

Is my university suppose to deal with this information? I'm just wondering if I have to contact my dentist the time I apply, or can I store the letter on my application or somewhere else where I don't have to waive my right to looking at the letter and contact him again after I'm done shadowing him

 

[JLT223]

Your pre-health/pre-dental advisor would be a good place to start. If you have a pre-health committee you should also ask your advisor about it.

 

[dentalwhiz]

Your pre-health/pre-dental advisor would be a good place to start. If you have a pre-health committee you should also ask your advisor about it.

thanks, I will look into that.

 

[Spliced]

Get your letters ASAP generally profs need several weeks and don't like it when its rushed. i gave all my profs a couple months which is overkill but they gave me very strong letters.

 

[dentalwhiz]

Get your letters ASAP generally profs need several weeks and don't like it when its rushed. i gave all my profs a couple months which is overkill but they gave me very strong letters.

Did you know your professors well? The issue I have is that I'm not very close with any professors, although there are a couple who I tried to get to know by visiting their office hours often. I was thinking about asking for a letter by going to there office and having my transcript, personal statement and a sample letter written out for them. Is this the best way to go about it? How did you ask your professors for a LOR

 

[artist2022]

For one professor, I went to his office hours and had a nice chat with him about biology textbooks (how insufficient they are), Trump, brain biology etc. and then afterwards I asked him if he would mind writing a letter of recommendation for me (I asked him for other things too like to do research with him lol). Another professor I asked via email, if she would mind writing a letter. A third is a professor I'm close to, since my friend does research with him and I'm almost always with her, so he was like sure! Just fill this form out (a questionnaire). Make sure you have those things, and also a resume. That's all! Hope this helps.

 

[deleted738762]

For one professor, I went to his office hours and had a nice chat with him about biology textbooks (how insufficient they are), Trump, brain biology etc. and then afterwards I asked him if he would mind writing a letter of recommendation for me (I asked him for other things too like to do research with him lol). Another professor I asked via email, if she would mind writing a letter. A third is a professor I'm close to, since my friend does research with him and I'm almost always with her, so he was like sure! Just fill this form out (a questionnaire). Make sure you have those things, and also a resume. That's all! Hope this helps.

So the 3rd letter you got was because you hang out with your friend who works for the professor. lmao

 

[shima29]

Use Interfolio to store your letter for future use so that you don't have to worry about contacting letter writers whenever you decide to apply.

 

[artist2022]

So the 3rd letter you got was because you hang out with your friend who works for the professor. lmao

Well no, I had a class with him (Virology) in which I set the curves for the tests so he knew me (it was a class of 80 and yet he still knew me). And I said hi to him a lot, and she doesn't work for him lol she does research with him.

 

[dentalwhiz]

Use Interfolio to store your letter for future use so that you don't have to worry about contacting letter writers whenever you decide to apply.

Doesn't that waive my right to read the letter though? or do I just forward the letter from there to the application

 

[deleted738762]

Well no, I had a class with him (Virology) in which I set the curves for the tests so he knew me (it was a class of 80 and yet he still knew me). And I said hi to him a lot, and she doesn't work for him lol she does research with him.

When you say you set the curves does that mean you did so bad the professor had to curve the class looool?

 

[artist2022]

When you say you set the curves does that mean you did so bad the professor had to curve the class looool?

wow...do you not know how curves work my goodness...i feel so bad that you've never had the opportunity to set a curve..

 

[Spliced]

Did you know your professors well? The issue I have is that I'm not very close with any professors, although there are a couple who I tried to get to know by visiting their office hours often. I was thinking about asking for a letter by going to there office and having my transcript, personal statement and a sample letter written out for them. Is this the best way to go about it? How did you ask your professors for a LOR

most of the professors i tried to keep ion contact, i didn't know them personally except for 1. the others i did very well in their course and i would ask interesting questions related to their subject. essentially you want to ask them if they can give you a STRONG reference letter or support of dental school. obviously if you haven't talked to them well and you have no options, go to them and discuss your plans and some professors will be fine with giving you a good recommendation. it really depends on the prof.

 

[shima29]

Doesn't that waive my right to read the letter though? or do I just forward the letter from there to the application

You cannot read the letter if you use Interfolio (I think you have the option to check a box for that). Obviously you don't want to read the letter. It just gets sent to Interfolio and the site uploads the letter (totally confidential) the the dental school app.

 

[deleted738762]

wow...do you not know how curves work my goodness...i feel so bad that you've never had the opportunity to set a curve..

A curve when the class average is low so the professor curves the class? Also, it was a joke and I've heard no one in my life say "set a curve" so I have no idea what you meant and don't feel bad it doesn't mean anything to me. One would assume someone did so bad in the course the professor had to curve the class haha

 

[artist2022]

A curve when the class average is low so the professor curves the class? Also, it was a joke and I've heard no one in my life say "set a curve" so I have no idea what you meant and don't feel bad it doesn't mean anything to me. One would assume someone did so bad in the course the professor had to curve the class haha

Curves are due to having low class averages, not due to a single person. Setting the curve means your score was the highest, and it was made into an A. Ex. if everyone did poor, and your score was a 79 and it was the highest, you would get an A and everyone else's grades would be calculated accordingly, since a 79 is now equal to a 93+.
Also..........why would anyone be proud of scoring so bad that the professor would curve the test? Also..........why wouldn't the professor just fail you if you did so bad? ..

 

[deleted738762]

Curves are due to having low class averages, not due to a single person. Setting the curve means your score was the highest, and it was made into an A. Ex. if everyone did poor, and your score was a 79 and it was the highest, you would get an A and everyone else's grades would be calculated accordingly, since a 79 is now equal to a 93+.
Also..........why would anyone be proud of scoring so bad that the professor would curve the test? Also..........why wouldn't the professor just fail you if you did so bad? ..

Also.......Thanks for the lesson doc

 

[shima29]

Curves are due to having low class averages, not due to a single person. Setting the curve means your score was the highest, and it was made into an A. Ex. if everyone did poor, and your score was a 79 and it was the highest, you would get an A and everyone else's grades would be calculated accordingly, since a 79 is now equal to a 93+.
Also..........why would anyone be proud of scoring so bad that the professor would curve the test? Also..........why wouldn't the professor just fail you if you did so bad? ..

In many schools most professors curve classes...it's important to set a curve to separate people that do average on exams from people that do above average. It's a way to compare students.