LOR advice needed!

[PNWDoctor]

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One of my science letter writers is my previous genetics professor. I took her class early my sophomore year of college and totally bombed it. Her classes are notorious for being extremely challenging and basically I was just an immature student and dealing with some level of depression at the time. I have since become a much better student.

Of course I had to retake the class eventually but I waited a couple years and ended up taking it with the same professor again. I ended the course at the top of the class the second time. She actually remembered me from the first time I took it, saying I was a memorable student (because my grade was so bad and I never came to class???? IDK) and that lots of people retake her classes but she can only remember one other student in her career doing as well as I did the second time around.

When I asked her to write me an LOR, she offered to mention in the letter how I took the class twice, coming back the second time and doing very well, but that she wouldn't mention it unless I wanted her to. My question is, is it a good idea for her to mention it in the letter? Or would it be best for her to leave it out and just focus exclusively on positive things from the most recent time? I am concerned how adcoms might see it if she mentions I bombed the class initially, but I could see how it might be good to have her mention it as a testimony that the student I am now is not the student I was then.
Advice? Anyone else's perspective would be much appreciated!

 

[axelz165]

One of my science letter writers is my previous genetics professor. I took her class early my sophomore year of college and totally bombed it. Her classes are notorious for being extremely challenging and basically I was just an immature student and dealing with some level of depression at the time. I have since become a much better student.

Of course I had to retake the class eventually but I waited a couple years and ended up taking it with the same professor again. I ended the course at the top of the class the second time. She actually remembered me from the first time I took it, saying I was a memorable student (because my grade was so bad and I never came to class???? IDK) and that lots of people retake her classes but she can only remember one other student in her career doing as well as I did the second time around.

When I asked her to write me an LOR, she offered to mention in the letter how I took the class twice, coming back the second time and doing very well, but that she wouldn't mention it unless I wanted her to. My question is, is it a good idea for her to mention it in the letter? Or would it be best for her to leave it out and just focus exclusively on positive things from the most recent time? I am concerned how adcoms might see it if she mentions I bombed the class initially, but I could see how it might be good to have her mention it as a testimony that the student I am now is not the student I was then.
Advice? Anyone else's perspective would be much appreciated!

Think about your application as a whole. Do you have a trend of doing badly in your first few years of college? A letter explaining how you changed as a student and did VERY well would show how you've progressed. However, if in general you've been a great student, I'd omit the part about failing it before and just talk about how excellent you did this time around.

 

[PNWDoctor]

Think about your application as a whole. Do you have a trend of doing badly in your first few years of college? A letter explaining how you changed as a student and did VERY well would show how you've progressed. However, if in general you've been a great student, I'd omit the part about failing it before and just talk about how excellent you did this time around.

That makes sense. Thank you for your reply!