Letters of Recommendation

[adenine]

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I need to submit my letters to the pre-med committee at my college, and so far I have two that are really solid - from two profs. The pre-med committee said it might be advantageous to get letters from any medical professionals that we have worked with, so I requested one from the head nurse where I volunteer. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I think the letter is really bad - it's only a paragraph long and doesn't really represent what I do where I volunteer, or anything about me, really. What should I do? I think two letters is not enough, but I don't think I have enough time to request a third from another professor.

 

[juliedi]

I need to submit my letters to the pre-med committee at my college, and so far I have two that are really solid - from two profs. The pre-med committee said it might be advantageous to get letters from any medical professionals that we have worked with, so I requested one from the head nurse where I volunteer. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I think the letter is really bad - it's only a paragraph long and doesn't really represent what I do where I volunteer, or anything about me, really. What should I do? I think two letters is not enough, but I don't think I have enough time to request a third from another professor.

Hmm, I don't really know what you should do about that letter. But one thing I did want to point out is that for some schools I applied to, 3 academic letters were required. So regardless of the situation with this crappy letter, you should look into it and see if you'd need another letter from a professor anyway. Good luck.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

1. How are you getting to read all these letters to know that they are "stong" or "weak"? They are supposed to be confidential, i.e. you don't get to read them.

2. Do not, under any circumstances, submit that letter from the nurse. Figure something, anything, else out. That letter will damage your application.

 

[Astarael]

To be safe at most schools you need to have two letters from sciences professors and one from a non-science professor. A general recommendation is to have a fourth from an outside source such as a supervisor, but that one is not required nearly as frequently as the two science/one non-science letters.

You definitely should not submit the one from the nurse. That was an appropriate place to look for a letter, but if it is only a paragraph long, that's bad news.

 

[adenine]

1. How are you getting to read all these letters to know that they are "stong" or "weak"? They are supposed to be confidential, i.e. you don't get to read them.

2. Do not, under any circumstances, submit that letter from the nurse. Figure something, anything, else out. That letter will damage your application.

I only read hers, because she let me.

And I guess I won't be submitting it lol

As for other letters of recommendation, all of the schools I've looked at seem to require only a letter from a pre-med committee.

 

[deleted357625]

1. How are you getting to read all these letters to know that they are "stong" or "weak"? They are supposed to be confidential, i.e. you don't get to read them.

2. Do not, under any circumstances, submit that letter from the nurse. Figure something, anything, else out. That letter will damage your application.

Both letter writers for me provided an extra copy for me to read

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Both letter writers for me provided an extra copy for me to read

So you lied on your applications?

😉

 

[Astarael]

So you lied on your applications?

😉

Last time I checked, you waive your right to read the letter. Letter writers can still provide you with a copy if they deem it reasonable.

 

[gravitywave]

Last time I checked, you waive your right to read the letter. Letter writers can still provide you with a copy if they deem it reasonable.

👍