Need 1 more letter of rec, who to ask?

[vsun]

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So I'm procrastinating for a midterm I have tomorrow.

Anyways I need another letter writer for dental school admissions and dont' know who to ask.

To give you guys a story of my admissions history:
-Applied to 7 schools in 2010. Got interview at LLU and Temple. Rejected from all.
-Did my backup plan and started biomedical engineering masters program in 2011 which I'm currently in the first year.
-Undergrad GPA: 3.6
-DAT: 19s for most, but need to retake because its expired by next cycle.
-100 hrs volunteering.

I have 3 guaranteed letter writers (research advisor, engineering professor, dentist at place I volunteered) but need more. When I applied in 2010, I had another writer who was an engineering/computer science professor, but I've lost touch with him so I dont want to ask him.

Since I'm in the masters program, all my professors are engineering. I want to ask a professor outside my major but I don't know any well. Any advice on people I can ask for that 4th letter?
I don't seem very well rounded do I?

I used to have doubts about dental school and if it was the right path for me. But recently I've noticed when people tell me about their dental issues (like my brother who had 17 cavities, or my friend who needs a root canal) I get sympathetic, excited, interested and tell them probably what procedure will be done and what will happen. This enthusiasm surprises me and I guess I'm subconsciously telling myself to go for dentistry.

Anyways I kinda don't want to enroll in a class outside my major and suck up to the professor just to get a letter, but if that's what it takes...

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

Anyways I kinda don't want to enroll in a class outside my major and suck up to the professor just to get a letter, but if that's what it takes...

Looks like that's your only option.

 

[vsun]

I could get an internship or job over the summer and get a letter from the manager.

 

[wired202808]

So I'm procrastinating for a midterm I have tomorrow.

Anyways I need another letter writer for dental school admissions and dont' know who to ask.

To give you guys a story of my admissions history:
-Applied to 7 schools in 2010. Got interview at LLU and Temple. Rejected from all.
-Did my backup plan and started biomedical engineering masters program in 2011 which I'm currently in the first year.
-Undergrad GPA: 3.6
-DAT: 19s for most, but need to retake because its expired by next cycle.
-100 hrs volunteering.

I have 3 guaranteed letter writers (research advisor, engineering professor, dentist at place I volunteered) but need more. When I applied in 2010, I had another writer who was an engineering/computer science professor, but I've lost touch with him so I dont want to ask him.

Since I'm in the masters program, all my professors are engineering. I want to ask a professor outside my major but I don't know any well. Any advice on people I can ask for that 4th letter?
I don't seem very well rounded do I?

I used to have doubts about dental school and if it was the right path for me. But recently I've noticed when people tell me about their dental issues (like my brother who had 17 cavities, or my friend who needs a root canal) I get sympathetic, excited, interested and tell them probably what procedure will be done and what will happen. This enthusiasm surprises me and I guess I'm subconsciously telling myself to go for dentistry.

Anyways I kinda don't want to enroll in a class outside my major and suck up to the professor just to get a letter, but if that's what it takes...

You cant use more than 4 LORs in your file. Different schools have different requirements i.e. some want a letter from your dentist, others want at least one or two bio professors, some prefer or recommend a chem professor etc.

To be save these are the 4 LORs on should have (in my opinion🙂
1. Dentist you shadowed with approximate number of shadowing hours written in the body of the letter
2. Bio professor
3. Chem professor (GC or Orgo)
4. An upper level science course prof i.e. AP, Biochem, Micro, etc.

Having these letters covers you for the majority of schools. Some like U of Minn also require an employer letter, but I haven't heard of anyone else doing so.

 

[vsun]

You cant use more than 4 LORs in your file. Different schools have different requirements i.e. some want a letter from your dentist, others want at least one or two bio professors, some prefer or recommend a chem professor etc.

To be save these are the 4 LORs on should have (in my opinion🙂
1. Dentist you shadowed with approximate number of shadowing hours written in the body of the letter
2. Bio professor
3. Chem professor (GC or Orgo)
4. An upper level science course prof i.e. AP, Biochem, Micro, etc.

Having these letters covers you for the majority of schools. Some like U of Minn also require an employer letter, but I haven't heard of anyone else doing so.

My school has this committee letter service, I think I can load up to 6 letters in there and they all get sent out in 1 package.

I dont see how I can get my GC or Orgo professor letters. They taught me about 4 years ago and I wasn't a familiar face to them.

I'm taking a graduate level systems cell bio course right now, but again I'm not a particularly good student (sit in the back, dont ask much questions, dont goto office hours).

Damn I guess having these requirements for dental school requires the applicant to be very personable and outgoing. Eh maybe dentistry's not for me.

Surprisingly from the doctors I've shadowed, none of them were exceptionally outgoing. They just seemed like regular weary people doing their job.

 

[Ewt812]

well, a friend of mine is applying Med school this cycle and he got all of his letters from profs whom he had never talked to. Although a few profs declined his request, most of the profs were happy to write one for him. I think those letters are fine since he is getting interviews and stuff.

 

[ta11geese3]

My gchem professor wrote me a letter last year. I took his class in like... early 2006. Never went to OH or anything. He suggested I ask people who knew me, but I told him about how my research professor wouldn't write me one because he said that it would be outdated. Think he felt sorry for me, and he agreed to write me one.

So you might want to consider asking your old profs, and see if any of them are nice enough. Most of my professors ignored my emails, and one turned me down in person.

While my letters probably didn't help me much, they did allow me to apply, and that was the important part (and I did end up getting accepted this cycle).

 

[doc toothache]

I could get an internship or job over the summer and get a letter from the manager.

An engineering professor will carry a heck of a lot more weight than a research advisor or a manager, even if it is not from McD.

 

[euphaire]

I had 1 chem professor, 1 engineering professor, 1 english professor, and one dentist as my writers. I didn't have a bio professor who can write me a great letter. It seems to be okay. I did get interviews and stuff.

 

[oliveira8]

I only reached out to my O-Chem professor for a letter of rec from science professors. Other than that I used the dentist who I had extensively shadowed, as well as my fraternity's chapter advisor, and the Director of Greek Life on my campus (I was my fraternity's president for two years and had a close relationship with these two individuals).

I knew these two individuals could write much stronger letters of rec that described my character, leadership experience, community involvement, and passion for dentistry much better than all of my science professors. I interacted with these advisors on an almost daily basis compared to a science professor who I may have only interacted with in class, office hours, and may ultimately write his/her letter of rec based off my performance within their class.

However, getting these types of letters of rec may not work for every school since certain schools have certain requirements for letters of rec. Nevertheless, I suggest going to faculty, advisors, or other individuals who can write letters of rec describing what type of individual you are, leadership experience you have, community involvement, etc. They will ultimately be a great sell for what kind of person you are to an admissions committee.