LOR from a "peer"

[Alvacea]

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Hi, all. I've been lurking on this board for a while, and I'm grateful for all the great information and advice I've read over the past few months. Hopefully someday I can be a helpful contributor too. 🙂

I have a question regarding a LOR and would appreciate any help. I'm applying this cycle. I've just finished my first year of a two-year MS program. I have five solid letters (from my UG PI, my UG advisor/course instructor, my current grad PI/course instructor, a clinical supervisor for current research project, and a supervisor for a long-term UG volunteer EC). I was all set to get a sixth from an MD/PhD student with whom I worked closely in my UG lab (again, I'm getting the PI's letter, of course) and whom I consider an influential mentor. I'm sure it will be a very good letter, and crucially it would talk about my personal characteristics in a detailed way that my PI's letter may not.

At a recent UG committee's meeting, however, I was told that this letter would be considered a letter from a peer and would be problematic since I would be applying to the program in which said student is currently enrolled. They also hinted at concerns about subjectivity, I think. In the end, they advised that I shouldn't submit the letter. (The student, by the way, has finished the PhD and now has a year to go.)

I'd like to hear your thoughts as to whether this letter could possibly be helpful, or whether it would likely be ignored, or might even be detrimental to my apps (i.e. show poor judgment on my part in soliciting this letter). I'm a bit nervous about my LORs, as I feel I might have too few, and if there's even a small chance that this sixth letter will actually be read and considered then I'd like to submit it. Thanks.

 

[Hard24Get]

Hi,

I wouldn't use the letter from the student. Why would 5 letters be too few? Also, most PIs would add the input from the people you worked closely with, anyway - are you sure this hasn't been done with your UG PI letter?

Good luck

Hi, all. I've been lurking on this board for a while, and I'm grateful for all the great information and advice I've read over the past few months. Hopefully someday I can be a helpful contributor too. 🙂

I have a question regarding a LOR and would appreciate any help. I'm applying this cycle. I've just finished my first year of a two-year MS program. I have five solid letters (from my UG PI, my UG advisor/course instructor, my current grad PI/course instructor, a clinical supervisor for current research project, and a supervisor for a long-term UG volunteer EC). I was all set to get a sixth from an MD/PhD student with whom I worked closely in my UG lab (again, I'm getting the PI's letter, of course) and whom I consider an influential mentor. I'm sure it will be a very good letter, and crucially it would talk about my personal characteristics in a detailed way that my PI's letter may not.

At a recent UG committee's meeting, however, I was told that this letter would be considered a letter from a peer and would be problematic since I would be applying to the program in which said student is currently enrolled. They also hinted at concerns about subjectivity, I think. In the end, they advised that I shouldn't submit the letter. (The student, by the way, has finished the PhD and now has a year to go.)

I'd like to hear your thoughts as to whether this letter could possibly be helpful, or whether it would likely be ignored, or might even be detrimental to my apps (i.e. show poor judgment on my part in soliciting this letter). I'm a bit nervous about my LORs, as I feel I might have too few, and if there's even a small chance that this sixth letter will actually be read and considered then I'd like to submit it. Thanks.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hi, all. I've been lurking on this board for a while, and I'm grateful for all the great information and advice I've read over the past few months. Hopefully someday I can be a helpful contributor too. 🙂

I have a question regarding a LOR and would appreciate any help. I'm applying this cycle. I've just finished my first year of a two-year MS program. I have five solid letters (from my UG PI, my UG advisor/course instructor, my current grad PI/course instructor, a clinical supervisor for current research project, and a supervisor for a long-term UG volunteer EC). I was all set to get a sixth from an MD/PhD student with whom I worked closely in my UG lab (again, I'm getting the PI's letter, of course) and whom I consider an influential mentor. I'm sure it will be a very good letter, and crucially it would talk about my personal characteristics in a detailed way that my PI's letter may not.

At a recent UG committee's meeting, however, I was told that this letter would be considered a letter from a peer and would be problematic since I would be applying to the program in which said student is currently enrolled. They also hinted at concerns about subjectivity, I think. In the end, they advised that I shouldn't submit the letter. (The student, by the way, has finished the PhD and now has a year to go.)

I'd like to hear your thoughts as to whether this letter could possibly be helpful, or whether it would likely be ignored, or might even be detrimental to my apps (i.e. show poor judgment on my part in soliciting this letter). I'm a bit nervous about my LORs, as I feel I might have too few, and if there's even a small chance that this sixth letter will actually be read and considered then I'd like to submit it. Thanks.

Ask the professor to co-sign the student's letter, or have him incorporate the student's letter into his own. Or, just submit the sixth letter as additional support on top of the required letters. You have enough science letters that it's fine to have one peer letter in addition. Just because it's a peer letter doesn't mean schools won't look at it; my state schools (FL) actually *require* MD applicants to submit a peer letter.

 

[kassie]

When I was a TA in grad school, a lot of students asked me for a letter and I always thought it was strange. But I explained that and they asked anyway...

I think it's better to make sure the PI of that lab incorporates some of the MD/PhD student's thoughts into his/her letter...

 

[Alvacea]

Thanks for the help!