misled by michigan

[kittywalker]

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today i got an e-mail from michigan saying they need another letter of rec from a science professor that has given me a grade (research doesn't count). i specifically didn't apply to usc because their website said letters from research professors would not fulfill the requirement but i do not see this ANYWHERE on michigan's website. has anyone else made this mistake?? i kind of want to call and ask for my admissions fee money back!

 

[Svart Aske]

Is there no other science professor who can write you a letter? I think most schools implicitly require LOEs from professors whose class you actually took. If Michigan tells you that you need another letter then it will probably be the case for other schools. Did Michigan e-mail you out of the blue or did you ask them?

Does your school have a pre-professional letter-writing service?

 

[kittywalker]

I didn't ask them, I just got an e-mail from them today saying my application is complete beside that. I already have an interview at Case so it is definitely not the case there and none of the other schools I've applied to have mentioned that. I hope they aren't all like that!! I find it odd that they wouldn't specify that on their webpages. I could get another one but I feel bad asking them to write one super fast the first couple weeks of school. I guess I'll think about it and pray that the other schools will accept my research letter!

 

[jakesteal]

That's not fair! Did you try to call and argue? Have you looked through the ADEA guide? Is it even mentioned anywhere??

 

[dentalstuff]

I'm pretty much in the same exact situation. I have a letter from a research professor who I've been working with for two years and another science letter as well. I got the same Mich e-mail saying I needed one more, which I found strange as well. I never really did anything about it though bc i don't start school until the end of Sept and that's pretty late to be asking for another letter. I've also gotten other interview invites from other schools sooo i don't really know how to approach this situation

 

[Atticus]

I think most schools implicitly require LOEs from professors whose class you actually took.

What? I don't think it is implicit at all. Many times individuals get letters from research professors who nine times out of ten can give more thorough rec's because of their interactions in a lab. To the op: that is total bs and I completely understand your frusteration

 

[xhamburgersamx]

Its more of a formality . Other schools would you give an interview and then ask you for a new letter later.

Just forget about the school and move on unless that is one of ur top choices.

 

[sfrice80]

I had gotten the same exact email from them, luckily my organic professor was willing to write one quick and send it to them within days but I havent heard from them since. Kind of stupid because my research professor is one of my best letters of rec and he did give me a grade for my research.

 

[sfrice80]

I actually just emailed michigan to ask if they received that new letter and to know if my application is complete and I got an email back within a half hour saying they did receive it and my application is now complete.

 

[blissy07]

you should always err on the safe side and assume that "science professor" does not include research. from my understanding from applying last year, this is how the majority of schools interpret this.

 

[anschutz1913]

Yeah,
I submitted 4 letters to aadsas, but am having another bio prof. send out to 4 other schools b/c they needed 1 more sci. prof letter.

If the research letter would have counted I could have saved a lot of time. But hey, it's all part of the fun of applying right??

 

[Andrew324]

I already have an interview at Case so it is definitely not the case there and none of the other schools I've applied to have mentioned that. I hope they aren't all like that!!

I just wanted to let you know that getting an interview does not mean they accept everything you have. Specifically I interviewed at the University of Minnesota and when I was there they asked me for another letter because I had not filled there quota. So I had an interview without all the required information. But they still needed the letter.

Just wanted to let you know.

 

[msu2010dtb]

I've applied to U of M as well and as part of my requisite coursework to gain my Bachelor's in Microbiology from my current university, we were required to participate in research for a course grade. This professors has written one of my LOE's, and although my application states my research was for voluntary and coursework purposes as well as appearing on my transcript, I am required to have her email them stating I was graded for my research in order for my letter to count. It's a headache as I've not had problems from other schools putting my application towards adcoms. Hope your situation resolves. By the way, if you call they're extremely nice. 🙂