LOR Questions

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I thought you can only submit 3? maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but some schools only ask for 2 recommendations
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fenixtnlfan said:
How many LORs you submit and from who depends on what each school wants. Make sure you research that before you start submitting LORs.
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Yeah, but it is better to submit 4 to pharmcas because they pass all of them to the school even if the school requires only two LORs
 
tommyVoltage said:
Do you know how many LORs they take?
I have 4 options: 2 pharmacists, 1 professor, and 1 family friend who was the owner/ceo/president of a pharmaceutical company.
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Never family or friends.... or family friends. Go for the 2 pharmacists and professor. If you want a fourth, get another professor.
 
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Hi Everybody!
My question is: Which LORs would be the best combination? Please help me by indicating the combination of 3 by using a, b, c, d, e, and/or f.

P.S. Is there a con for using a letter from a professor who I took a year ago?

I intended to apply for Fall 2009 but ended up not doing so. However, I got all 3 of my LORs, which have not been submitted to any schools:

::a:: Biology Professor: Upper Division course at a University (Summer 08)
The class was composed of 3 hundred students and he told me he
had 1 hundred something LOR each year to write. He asked for a
questionnaire to be answered since he did not have time to
interview everyone of us so I have a feeling my
activities/ec are included in the letter. But I know he has
positive words to say about my personality and he told me he
wrote me a good LOR.
::b:: Asian American Art History Professor: Upper Div course at a University
(Spring 08)
The class only had 20-something students. Grade was based on a
presentation, midterm paper and final research paper. I was 1 of the
4 students with the highest grade in class and she remembers my
papers and my name. We had a one on one interview in regards to
the LOR. I expressed how I chose my professor to write the LOR
because I wanted to show her to show how my creative
interpretations could be a good contribution for pharm schools.
::c:: Pharmacy: I volunteered there for more than 1 1/2 years. The
volunteer coordinator wrote the LOR and not the pharmacist but the
coordinator knows me more. I believe the letter emphasize on how
many students have good gpas but they can not survive in the real
world and I am not one of those volunteers.

But I am definitely applying for Fall 2010 and have these 3 different LOR for this cycle and do not know if I should use one of the previous LOR instead of one of the ones from below, in that case I will need to contact my previous professors.

d:: Stats Professor: Math class at a CC (Spring 2009).
The class has ~140 students. I chose my stats professor because I
got a C- in my stats class at a Univeristy. I just wanted to show on
my apps that my efforts resulted in a better outcome. She said
that she will be able to write about the stats of me in that class
but not so much of my personality because she has not known me
long enough.
::e:: First/Aid CPR professor: Class at a CC (Spring 2009)
I chose this professor because he knows me by name and my
progress in class. He is a man who may seem picky/tough about
being on time, nfl side judge, but you can see that he only does
what does so his students will benefit in life. I believe he will be
able to show that besides all the material from books, it is important
to be learn hands on and I will be able to take material I learn from
a book and apply it to real-life situations.
::f:: Pharmacy: Same pharmacy as above LOR but now I have worked as a
front shop clerk for 6 months. I volunteered there for more than 1
1/2 years. Thevolunteer coordinator wrote the LOR and not the
pharmacist but the coordinator knows me more. I believe the letter
emphasize on how many students have good gpas but they can not
survive in the real world and I am not one of those volunteers.

I would greatly appreciate any response! Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day!
 
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I am pretty sure that receiving LORs from professors that you took 1 year ago will not affect you negatively. There was a chart on PharmCAS that tells which schools accept which types of LOR (ex: some do not accept non-science professors to send one), but it seems like it is no longer available.

If I were you , I would send in 4 LORs (the max) because it can only help you. Get a new pharmacy one , keep the art one only if you talk about that aspect of heritage/your interest in art/skills in art on your essays, and add a 4th one of the CPR professor

tie in all of these interests/skills/experiences you gained through writing your essays. great experiences + great LOR that back them up = :thumbup:
 
I think if you can actually get the pharmacist to write you a letter that would be a pretty large benefit to your application. It seems like most schools really like to see a recommendation from a pharmacist specifically.

For the other ones I would choose the Biology professor because it seems like the person wrote you a good letter and the First Aid professor because he seems to know you quite well.
 
RX anxiety said:
Hi Everybody!
My question is: Which LORs would be the best combination? Please help me by indicating the combination of 3 by using a, b, c, d, e, and/or f.

P.S. Is there a con for using a letter from a professor who I took a year ago?

I intended to apply for Fall 2009 but ended up not doing so. However, I got all 3 of my LORs, which have not been submitted to any schools:

::a:: Biology Professor: Upper Division course at a University (Summer 08)
The class was composed of 3 hundred students and he told me he
had 1 hundred something LOR each year to write. He asked for a
questionnaire to be answered since he did not have time to
interview everyone of us so I have a feeling my
activities/ec are included in the letter. But I know he has
positive words to say about my personality and he told me he
wrote me a good LOR.
::b:: Asian American Art History Professor: Upper Div course at a University
(Spring 08)
The class only had 20-something students. Grade was based on a
presentation, midterm paper and final research paper. I was 1 of the
4 students with the highest grade in class and she remembers my
papers and my name. We had a one on one interview in regards to
the LOR. I expressed how I chose my professor to write the LOR
because I wanted to show her to show how my creative
interpretations could be a good contribution for pharm schools.
::c:: Pharmacy: I volunteered there for more than 1 1/2 years. The
volunteer coordinator wrote the LOR and not the pharmacist but the
coordinator knows me more. I believe the letter emphasize on how
many students have good gpas but they can not survive in the real
world and I am not one of those volunteers.

But I am definitely applying for Fall 2010 and have these 3 different LOR for this cycle and do not know if I should use one of the previous LOR instead of one of the ones from below, in that case I will need to contact my previous professors.

d:: Stats Professor: Math class at a CC (Spring 2009).
The class has ~140 students. I chose my stats professor because I
got a C- in my stats class at a Univeristy. I just wanted to show on
my apps that my efforts resulted in a better outcome. She said
that she will be able to write about the stats of me in that class
but not so much of my personality because she has not known me
long enough.
::e:: First/Aid CPR professor: Class at a CC (Spring 2009)
I chose this professor because he knows me by name and my
progress in class. He is a man who may seem picky/tough about
being on time, nfl side judge, but you can see that he only does
what does so his students will benefit in life. I believe he will be
able to show that besides all the material from books, it is important
to be learn hands on and I will be able to take material I learn from
a book and apply it to real-life situations.
::f:: Pharmacy: Same pharmacy as above LOR but now I have worked as a
front shop clerk for 6 months. I volunteered there for more than 1
1/2 years. Thevolunteer coordinator wrote the LOR and not the
pharmacist but the coordinator knows me more. I believe the letter
emphasize on how many students have good gpas but they can not
survive in the real world and I am not one of those volunteers.

I would greatly appreciate any response! Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day!
Click to expand...
Get a RPh to write you a LOR
 
Go with the professor that will provide you the BEST LOR.

Only a small amount of consideration goes into where the LOR comes from - Some people have their "Assistant Stockroom Manager of the Night Shift" write an LOR for them... That will carry less weight compared to other choices. Aside from that - a Bio professor is equal to a humanities professor in my book.

Note: A chem professor knows about as much about pharmacy as the humanities professor.

What I want to see is whether or not that person can relate you, your personality traits, and your abilities to the world of pharmacy. Can they speak intelligently about why you would make a good pharmacist. Remember, it is not the author of the LOR that is being assessed - their work is a reflection on you. That being said, whichever professor will write the best, most glowing LOR (I am talking more than 5 lines and your class rank) will have the greatest effect on your application.
 
I'm sorry if this has already been asked, I didn't find it.
Does a letter from a faculty member that was my DIS supervisor counts as a letter from a science professor? Thanks
 
jjfree said:
I'm sorry if this has already been asked, I didn't find it.
Does a letter from a faculty member that was my DIS supervisor counts as a letter from a science professor? Thanks
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unabbreviated, svp
 
Oh, sorry. That's Directed Individual Study. I did undergraduate research at the marine lab for 2 semesters.
 
Hehe cool....marine research:thumbup:

Yeah, you can use them for an LOR. Nothing I've seen indicates that the reference must be someone who has taught you in a traditional lecture.

I used my undergrad thesis supervisor...

Usually those profs know you better and can therefore write stronger letters....Best o' luck:luck:
 
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Actually, when they say they want a letter from a science professor, they usually mean someone who has lectured/known you as a student. I have a number of different professors that I've done research with, but they would not be able to comment on my abilities and performance as a student, only a research assistant. So while you may get a letter from your DIS professor (definitely a great LOR, not saying anything against that), you might want to consider getting another letter from your science professor indicating that you're capable of handling a difficult science course.
 
I got a letter from my undergrad thesis supervisor (credits- diff than being a research assistant) so she did know me in my capacity as a student....it never once came up in any interview or other situation....they never even asked me about them....

to be safe, you may want to check with the schools....but believe me, LORs don't have as big an impact as some ppl like to think....

this one prof who evaluates grad school scholarship apps told me he doesn't put much weight on the LORs b/c "they all make the student sound like they can walk on water....the only thing I look for is whether there are overtly negative comments,....which rarely happens"
 
ffpickle said:
this one prof who evaluates grad school scholarship apps told me he doesn't put much weight on the LORs b/c "they all make the student sound like they can walk on water....the only thing I look for is whether there are overtly negative comments,....which rarely happens"
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Is that really true? I mean that would be a little less stressful if LORs weren't that important, but I was talking with someone on these forums who got into UCSF recently and he said that two of the biggest deciding factors were personal essays and LORs.
 
sungieality said:
Is that really true? I mean that would be a little less stressful if LORs weren't that important, but I was talking with someone on these forums who got into UCSF recently and he said that two of the biggest deciding factors were personal essays and LORs.
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It certainly makes sense. Personally, I don't agree with the use of LOR because most of the time it'll be positive or very general. So what's the point? The only time I could see it being useful is when it's used as "proof" of extracurricular activities.

You also said that it needs to be from a professor that knows you as a student so that it can be about your ability to handle challenging science courses... but doesn't your transcript speak volumes more than any one particular class that you personally selected to put yourself in the best light?
 
Project2015 said:
It certainly makes sense. Personally, I don't agree with the use of LOR because most of the time it'll be positive or very general. So what's the point? The only time I could see it being useful is when it's used as "proof" of extracurricular activities.

You also said that it needs to be from a professor that knows you as a student so that it can be about your ability to handle challenging science courses... but doesn't your transcript speak volumes more than any one particular class that you personally selected to put yourself in the best light?
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I agree that a transcript can show that you can handle a heavy courseload, you're right. However, I do think that a science professor whom has observed you as a student can write more than just "he/she was a great student who received an A". In some of the smaller seminar courses that focus on more specific research subjects within a department, the professor can actually get to know students pretty well just by the way they ask questions or even just through talking with them during office hours in a more relaxed setting.

I'm not a pharmacy student yet, so obviously I don't have the greatest authority on the gravity of LORs. It's just that when I wanted to approach my research advisors/ PIs for letters of recommendation, I was always advised by counselors and other students in professional school already to seek another letter from a science professor with whom I had taken a course. I personally feel that the best letters are from those who have observed you outside the classroom.
 
this one prof who evaluates grad school scholarship apps told me he doesn't put much weight on the LORs b/c "they all make the student sound like they can walk on water....the only thing I look for is whether there are overtly negative comments,....which rarely happens"
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Perhaps for that particular scholarship, but most pharmacy people I have talked to stress LORs. Don't take them lightly. It is a PART of your application. Would you risk skimping on one part of your application? That is your choice.

And you'd be surprised. People will write LORs that only say "this person was in my class, and received an A" - especially if that is only how they interacted with you. I have also heard a couple times (not many - but they exist!) where people actually wrote negative or non-positive things on the letters ("I do not know this person very well" or "I do not think this person can succeed in this program").

However, I do think that a science professor whom has observed you as a student can write more than just "he/she was a great student who received an A". In some of the smaller seminar courses that focus on more specific research subjects within a department, the professor can actually get to know students pretty well just by the way they ask questions or even just through talking with them during office hours in a more relaxed setting.
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I agree. I will be asking my lab teacher and she has TONS of things to say about her students. She has told me that she will be talking about writing skills, public speaking skills, leadership skills, teamwork skills, etc - in short, skills that the schools will be looking for in THEIR students. Grades will speak for your study skills - LORs are supposed to go beyond that. 'A's can also mean very little - it can mean all you do is study your ass off all day for tests and are not very sociable. Do you want a mean and non-sociable pharmacist? Even listing extracurriculars doesn't speak as much as LORs can - people can sign up and do extracurriculars, but whether they do it enthusiastically or skillfully is a different matter.

Honestly, I love LORs. All I need to do is ask my professors and supervisors, and they will do all the work for me! lol, I'm kidding. But really, I'd prefer an extra LOR than an extra essay.
 
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I guess it depends on the system. When your courses are huge, only lasts 10 weeks, and doesn't require direct professor interaction, then it gets quite a bit impersonal. You would have to go out of your way to make the connection, which would be unnatural (i.e., staged for LOR purposes).
 
I have a question. Does my biology professor lecture professor count as a science professor? I mean this 2 years ago. Anyways, she is working as lab professor now; can I still get a lor from her? She said she can't; because she is working as a lab professor now.
 
Thanks guys. I think I'm going to play it safe and get another letter from a professor. I just wasn't sure, because for the DIS I had to write a paper each semester and received a grade on my transcript next to "marine ecology."
 
If you are worried about it, contact some of the schools you are thinking of applying to and ask them.
 
I tried to find this answer, but I failed, so I hope one of you can help.

I submitted 3 LORs (2 professors and 1 pharmacist), but one of the schools I applied to only wants 2. This school also requires 1 from a pharmacist. So...how will they know which 2 to choose? I imagine they will have to read all 3 to find out anyway...or does PharmCAS label them as "professor." "pharmacist," etc.?
 
I had this concern as well. I contacted the school that only wanted two and they said they would just read all three LORs. Other schools may do it differently so its a good idea to just send those schools an email and make sure it won't be an issue. I would imagine that the LORs are indeed labeled "pharmacist" etc but I have no way of knowing that for sure.
 
I think the LORs are labaled, and if not, I would think that the admissions people would take a look at all of them you provide regardless of how many they require. You can send up to 4 LOR, and I believe that the schools only care that you have met at least their minimum requirement (like at least 1 pharmacist, 1 sci prof). Contact each school to double check
 
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has been/ or is in this situtation and can offer some advice! I graduated with a degree in Micro in 2006 but didn't know i would apply to pharmacy school..now that I decided that I am going to apply..most schools require an LOR from a science professor but I havent been in college for 3 years so i'm not sure what to do about this?? I completed all of my science pre-reqs during undergrad as part of my degree requirements and really don't feel comfortable going back and asking someone to write me an LOR..any advice would be realllyyyyy appreciated! Thank you soo much!! :)
 
did you work with anyone closely during college who would help you with this? Maybe TA'ed with someone or did some research?
 
Techgirl9240 said:
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has been/ or is in this situtation and can offer some advice! I graduated with a degree in Micro in 2006 but didn't know i would apply to pharmacy school..now that I decided that I am going to apply..most schools require an LOR from a science professor but I havent been in college for 3 years so i'm not sure what to do about this?? I completed all of my science pre-reqs during undergrad as part of my degree requirements and really don't feel comfortable going back and asking someone to write me an LOR..any advice would be realllyyyyy appreciated! Thank you soo much!! :)
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Never to late to dust off your old email application and re-open lines of communication. Be forward with what you are looking to do. Maybe you could volunteer to help out with some projects so that the professor can get to know you better - at the very least provide a copy of your resume and personal statement along with transcripts. You need the LOR - so your need to recreate a relationship.
 
Yeah, you NEED to get the LOR's, so your going to have to approach one/some of your old profs (unless you want to take some new science courses to broaden yourself). I would try to choose a teacher that is going to remember you...that you stood out to in some way. If you were the "sit in the back of the class and not talk too much" type and none of your professors are going to remember you, then I would try to choose a prof that you had for multiple classes that you consistenly did well in. Maybe you had a prof for Bio1 Bio2 and a specialty science class and you got A's or B's in all of them. You can approach them with a resume and personal statment and let them know you had them for multiple classes and did well in all of them and ask them to write a letter speaking to your academic excellence. I know its not super fun to go "recommendation begging", but you have to do what you have to do if you want to reach your goals :) Good luck!
 
Weere there some teachers that you might have gotten help from in those classes? If so, they most likely would have forgotten about you, as well as, most of the other 1000's of kids that walked into their office from the time they started teaching to now....What I'm trying to get at is- DON"T WORRY!
I had an A&P teacher who I talked to a few times here and there, and he wrote me a LOR. I don't even think he even knew my name, until I asked him to write me that letter..
Just find a teacher who you think would be decent to write you a letter, email him/her whether this is fine with them or not, and if they say yes- bang your set. If they say no, try again and ask someone else..
 
thank you guys soooo much for the advice!! I really appreciate it! :D
 
So since I am going to back to a college professor and ask her if she would write me an LOR..which would you choose..the professor of the medical micro class that I was one of the TA's for (she was also my professor for writing in micro class) or the professor of this parasitology lab that I was in the last semester ( we did some pretty cool stuff with RNAi and there was only 9 people in the class and it was also the one and only time that it was offered )? Thanks again for all the help! :)
 
Techgirl9240 said:
So since I am going to back to a college professor and ask her if she would write me an LOR..which would you choose..the professor of the medical micro class that I was one of the TA's for (she was also my professor for writing in micro class) or the professor of this parasitology lab that I was in the last semester ( we did some pretty cool stuff with RNAi and there was only 9 people in the class and it was also the one and only time that it was offered )? Thanks again for all the help! :)
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I would choose the first one, if only because that professor worked really closely with you on a professional level (well, at least prof/TA level), and she'd probably be better able to write a letter that talks about you as a person and not just a student. I'm sure the second prof would be just as good, but it's always good to have someone who knows you in multiple capacities write the LOR.
 
Can't she just ask both professors? Don't some Cali schools recommend haveing 2 LORs from science professors? (This I'm not sure about, but I heard it from a friend)
 
Thank you so much for all the replies! So my LOR options are.. medical micro i TA'd for..parasitology professor..principal of the high school i've been teaching at for the last 3 years...pharmacist...and the director of an insitute for latino community development and public policy that i've been working with on an NIH grant with..who should i choose? Again, Thank you!
 
aboveliquidice said:
Never to late to dust off your old email application and re-open lines of communication. Be forward with what you are looking to do. Maybe you could volunteer to help out with some projects so that the professor can get to know you better - at the very least provide a copy of your resume and personal statement along with transcripts. You need the LOR - so your need to recreate a relationship.
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Listen to this post...I would follow their advice!
 
So I am applying this cycle for pharmacy schools, and I am unsure of what to do for my last LOR. I just started volunteering at an independent pharmacy, and I have been there probably around 15 hours thus far. At first, I was hoping to ask the pharmacist to write me a letter, but he is extremely anti-pharmacy and continuously tries to tell me of different fields I should consider. But I am set on pharmacy, it is what I really want to do now. I feel that if I asked him for a letter, he would either say no, or would not write that strong of a letter for me... not only because he dislikes pharmacy now but because I haven't known him that long.

Three summers ago, I did an internship/job shadow type thing with a radiologist. I got to know him really well, and I still keep in touch with him. He knows all about my desire to go to pharmacy school and I feel that he would be able to write me a better LOR. But my only fear is that he is a doctor- not a pharmacist. Would the adcoms look at this negatively? And do you think it would be okay to not have a letter from a pharmacist? I plan to e-submit once I finish my summer classes, so if I even tried to get a letter from the pharmacist, I would only have known him for about 2 and a half months.

Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!
 
A quality LOR would be more important than a weak LOR from a pharmacist. I'd ask for the LOR from the radiologist.

Some schools might raise concern about not having an LOR after you have worked at a pharmacy, but you can live with that. If asked, just mention the short time you have worked there.
 
I would definately be more comfortable asking a non-pharmacist LOR that is strong vs a weak LOR from a pharmacist. That being said, some schools may require that at least one LOR is from a pharmacist. So you might want to inquire about that with the schools you're applying to.
 
A couple of years ago I met this math teacher at a local library. She had a couple of cousins, one in middle school and one in high school, and both were struggling with chemistry and math. She wanted to help them out tremendously but was unable to because she was flooded with things in her life such as work. I was able to develop a very solid friendship with this individual over time and I offered to help her cousins with their school struggles since I had a little time on my hands. Ever since that time I have tutored these two students and they have improved vastly in chemistry and math.

Now the question that I have is: would I be allowed to use this teacher for a LOR? So far I have letters from my Physics 2 professor and a Pharmacist and I am trying to get a third since some schools require three letters. Is this doable?
 
PistonFan531 said:
A couple of years ago I met this math teacher at a local library. She had a couple of cousins, one in middle school and one in high school, and both were struggling with chemistry and math. She wanted to help them out tremendously but was unable to because she was flooded with things in her life such as work. I was able to develop a very solid friendship with this individual over time and I offered to help her cousins with their school struggles since I had a little time on my hands. Ever since that time I have tutored these two students and they have improved vastly in chemistry and math.

Now the question that I have is: would I be allowed to use this teacher for a LOR? So far I have letters from my Physics 2 professor and a Pharmacist and I am trying to get a third since some schools require three letters. Is this doable?
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Most schools do not accept LORs from friends =/ ... your story sounds great though, could you use that in your personal statement instead?
 
To strengthen your application you should ask one of your Chemistry or Biology professor to write one for you. Make sure that it's from a professor who you know can write very well and very detailed. This is a VERY important part of the application. Good Luck and don't forget to apply early! :)
 
Would schools accept a LOR from one of my old high school teachers?
 
she is a teacher so whats the problem?
 
triumphbr said:
she is a teacher so whats the problem?
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It's your relationship, not what the person does for a living. My 2 best friends from high school and undergrad are both MDs, but I'm not asking them for an LOR because they would not be able to speak to professionalism, academic stuff, etc. They would only be able to speak to my favorite coffee shop and how good I am at scoping out shoe sales :laugh:

In all seriousness, I have had more than one academic dean say in no uncertain terms that the relationship must be a professional or academic one, no friends allowed or they discount the letter.
 
PistonFan531 said:
I'm referring to a different teacher this time. One of my old high school teachers...
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While a teacher, this person did not directly instruct you in a professional, academic environment, and for this reason, I would not get a LoR if I had absolutely no other option.

This individual will be able to vouch for your abilities as a tutor, perhaps, but will not be able to recommend to a Pharmacy school AdCom that you're capable of excelling in a rigorous academic atmosphere, which is (mostly) what they're looking for.

If you check out the AACP website, it has a listing of each CoP and what type of LoRs they require/accept. I could link it for you if the AACP website was functioning properly at the moment but alas it seems to be having some connection problems!
 
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