LOR from an English "professor"

[bloHaZaRd]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi,

I am getting an LOR from my english teacher in college. But he doesn't have a PhD yet(he's working on it). He just teaches english courses. I'm sure he has some degree to be able to teach all the undergrad classes.
I was just wondering if it will be a weaker LOR (not content wise) since it came from someone without a PhD.

I wanted one from him because of my low verbal score. Even though I'm retaking the MCAT this Aug, I just want to show I'm not a person who does not know any inglis.

 

[monopolova]

I am in your exact situation. I asked a graduate student with a master's degree to write a rec since she taught me for two semesters and I knew her very well. After talking to the director of admissions at my chosen school, he said that a master's degree would be just fine. Even so, I am going to use her reco as an optional reco; I asked a phd professor from a lit class to write me a rec so that I won't have to worry about it. I suggest that you do the same if you can. If you can't, make sure the person has at least a master's and will definately write you a good rec.
👍

 

[IndyZX]

dont worry about it. id get the letter.

 

[clockworktangel]

This is something I've always been wondering about, and I hear different things from different people. Do schools require a letter of rec from a humanities prof? Because I haven't taken humanities since my freshman year, unless you count english up at Cal last summer, but that was taught by a TA. I am taking a 6 week english course right now, so i guess if i have to, I'll just suck up to her and hopefully get a good grade.

 

[goobernaculum]

don't worry about it. i got a rec from a guy who was still in school going for an M.Div (i.e.- still just a college grad). we worked closely together to run a religious campus group at my college, and since he probably knew me better than the other people who wrote my recs (phd folks), i felt it would have been best if he wrote me one too - just so the adcomms could get a deeper understanding of who i am. i did fine in the application cycle: 11 interviews, 6 acceptances, and settled in at a top 5 school. don't mean to brag, but i just want to let you know that all your recs don't need "dr." printed on them.

pm me if you have any other questions. i hate going public on these forums. sdn is a great idea, but there are way too many pricks that make it a nasty place.

 

[bloHaZaRd]

Thanks for the replies 🙂

 

[Asclepius]

yeah, get the rec. if you think it'll be a good one.

also, you put "professor" in quotes...he might still be a professor without having his PhD...perhaps an associate professor or something? The title "professor" is properly reserved for full professors, so many tenure-track, PhD faculty are not really "professors" anyway, for what it's worth.

One of my philosophy tutors in the old, British university I attended had only a baccalaureate degree, but he was an internationally known expert on Kant. He wasn't a professor or a doctor, but he was far more capable than the lecturer I had for that course.

Sometimes the degree is arbitrary...the quality of the letter should say more to its reader than the initials following the name of its author.