Letters of Rec

[ScienceBrah]

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Yo!

So I've been out of the game about 3 years now. I graduated under grad in 2013 so my committee letter is going to be at least 3 years old (maybe more) by the time I apply. Can I use it? Or should I contact the professors who wrote it individually and have them write their own?

Also, I'm in Peace Corps now (as I've said like 6million times sorry to beat a dead horse). I'm planning on having my program manager and my country director write letters after I COS. But it might be about a year before I submit it. Does the date matter all that much? Wouldn't it be better for them to write it with me still fresh in their mind? I mean, I'm memorable (lol) but not that memorable.

Final question:
Impassioned letters or stone cold "she was pretty cool" letter? My nurse manager wrote me one before I left for peace corps ( about a year ago) and I picked her because she calls me her little sun beam and thinks I'm just delightful, like I'm sure she has plenty to say about my bedside manner and all that business. But it was def just a "she was here, she did stuff" letter.

A lot of people have just been having me write outlines for them for the letter, or even write the whole letter and then they edit it -_-.

If I can use the committee letter, I want to send that and a letter from my old boss for the community service center I worked for in college. Lot of stuff with refugees, immigrants, low income situations. You know, running around back alleys at all hours of the night making sure everyone had shoes for school in the morning type of deal. And a letter from peace corps.

If I can't use the committee letter, I'll shoot for:
1. Community Service Center Boss
2. Ochem Prof
3. Peace Corps
4. Rando science prof-- This one will be a struggle because I'm not sure how fondly the rest of them remember me.

I know I have a over a year to deal with this, but Letters of Rec take forever and the village is boring sometimes.
So the gist of this is : How much do dates on letters matter? And what should an ideal letter show an adcom?

xoxo

 

[Lost in Translation]

Well... most of the letters in my committee packet were dated 2014/early 2015 (for 2015 entry) but I took a gap year (for 2016 entry). I've still gotten a few IIs.

 

[narvik2016]

I graduated in 2013 and am in almost the exact same situation and have the same question!

My take is that being out of school for a few years, it should be okay to have various dates. For example, I want to ask old professors for LORs early, like sometime this fall, just in case they say no and I have to find other sources. I would hate to wait till the spring and then have that problem. Considering the fact that they taught me years ago anyways, why should a few months difference be an issue? Does that make sense?

So, I will probably just start asking those I am worried about this fall and wait close until spring to ask for LORs that I am sure people will write for me. I have also seen advice on sdn about asking letter writers not to date the letter, or maybe to forward date the letter, which takes away the issue completely.