LOR Dilemmas

[bumbleebee]

I know it's about time to ask for LORs but I'm having some major issues.

1. I don't have any science professors to ask. All my science courses I took Freshman year and I'm sure none of them remember me. I'm a biomedical engineering major, I could ask one professor who taught a 'biology' sort of class (we learned about the brain in detail, some math thrown in but mostly pure bio) and another who I took two lab courses with, would that work? I don't know what other option I have...I could chat up my old professors maybe? Would that be a viable option?
2. I can have 3 non science letters, from a humanities prof, an information technology prof, and the head of this organization I volunteer with. Are these letters worth getting? Should I just get the humanities lor?
3. Is it even useful to get a LOR from my clinical research? All I do is data collection for the most part.

Thanks everyone

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[bumbleebee]

Wait, how are you a biomedical engineer and only have science professors in freshmen year ?


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I had a lot of AP Credit transfer over, so I finished off my bio courses Freshman Year. Actually, I took Orgo 2 & Biochem (1 semester) the next year, but I wasn't trying to be specific. The point is, it's been a while.

 

[aaronrodgers]

Wait, how are you a biomedical engineer and only have science professors in freshmen year ?


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Engineering professors might not be considered 'science' professors maybe. As Biomed E., I would think that the buttload of chem/physics/bio would span more than a year of school. As for the problem at hand...does it work if you can spin an engineering class to come off as a 'science' class? It's up to interpretation alongside class title/course content.

 

[Welshman]

What classes have you taken recently then?? I have a hard time imagining how you could be a BME without taking any BCMP courses since fall sophomore year...

 

[bumbleebee]

Engineering professors might not be considered 'science' professors maybe. As Biomed E., I would think that the buttload of chem/physics/bio would span more than a year of school. As for the problem at hand...does it work if you can spin an engineering class to come off as a 'science' class? It's up to interpretation alongside class title/course content.

I could spin the neural class as science but my other courses are pretty hard engineering. Even the lab course is related to engineering.

 

[bumbleebee]

What classes have you taken recently then?? I have a hard time imagining how you could be a BME without taking any BCMP courses since fall sophomore year...

I've had a lot of AP credit. I took Physics 1&2 Freshman year, but the classes were so big I don't think the professors remember me. I took 2 calc courses Freshman year too, and I could maybe hit up one of them, but it's been a while. Orgo 1 w/lab was Freshman year too. 2 bio courses (genetics, human bio) freshman year too, but both professors retired. Since then, it's been engineering.

So like I said, it's been a while...if it's my only hope to go back to old professors, I guess I have to? What do I say though? "Hi you might not remember me but I got an A in your class, write me a LOR please?"

 

[Welshman]

Here's AMCAS BCPM list, I feel like a lot of engineering classes would fit under applied mathematics. If not I'd try to get one from an old prof and also your PI. But I'm almost positive that engineering fits under Math

• Biology (BIOL)  Anatomy  Biology  Biophysics  Biotechnology  Botany  Cell Biology  Ecology  Entomology  Genetics  Histology  Immunology  Microbiology  Molecular Biology  Neuroscience  Physiology  Zoology Chemistry
• (CHEM)  Biochemistry  Chemistry  Physical Chemistry  Thermodynamics Physics
• (PHYS)  Astronomy  Physics Mathematics
• (MATH)  Applied Mathematics  Biostatistics  Mathematics  Statistics

 

[bumbleebee]

Here's AMCAS BCPM list, I feel like a lot of engineering classes would fit under applied mathematics. If not I'd try to get one from an old prof and also your PI. But I'm almost positive that engineering fits under Math

• Biology (BIOL)  Anatomy  Biology  Biophysics  Biotechnology  Botany  Cell Biology  Ecology  Entomology  Genetics  Histology  Immunology  Microbiology  Molecular Biology  Neuroscience  Physiology  Zoology Chemistry
• (CHEM)  Biochemistry  Chemistry  Physical Chemistry  Thermodynamics Physics
• (PHYS)  Astronomy  Physics Mathematics
• (MATH)  Applied Mathematics  Biostatistics  Mathematics  Statistics

Yeah, I wasn't sure if engineering counted. I've read many conflicting threads.

So PI letter in addition to 2 bcpm and 1 humanities? Should I bother with the other two potential letters mentioned in #2?

 

[Welshman]

Yeah, I wasn't sure if engineering counted. I've read many conflicting threads.

So PI letter in addition to 2 bcpm and 1 humanities? Should I bother with the other two potential letters mentioned in #2?

I would take all of the letters I could get if I knew they were strong and commented on different aspect of me, ie not two letters from the same volunteering activity.

Keeping in mind each schools letter requirements

 

[bumbleebee]

You are assuming that AMCAS BCPM would be considered science by all schools and that not is the case. For example, Case Western Reserve University specifically excludes Botany, Ecology, Geology from their acceptable letters but will accept Engineering and Math.

Additionally the OP has stated he/she has had many AP courses accepted for credit, yet many medical schools will not accept AP for prereqs and require advanced course work it their place.

I haven't made a school list yet, but I was assuming generally...

I took advanced coursework--just all in the beginning of college. Not worried about that, just LORs.

 

[bumbleebee]

Then you need to go back and start contacting your professors

Get your LORs
science (1)
engineering (1)
IT (1)
humanities (1)
Research (1)

Skip the volunteer letter unless you have done something of importance, high level, notable, etc

Okay, thanks!