Non-science rec letter dilemma

[andrewpumpkin]

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I'm in a dilemma about who to ask for the non-science LOR. I'm currently a junior, and I've been trying to get my major requirements completed first while waiting to take most of my humanity electives senior year to reduce the stress of applications and interviews. After doing some research recently, I realized that some of the schools I wanted to apply to require a non-science LOR. I have only taken 2 humanities classes so far during freshman year. One of them was a large (100+) psychology class, and the other was a small seminar. I'm not sure if psychology even counts as non-science, but I asked this professor and she said that she does not remember me and can only write a letter about my grades, which is the kind of letter to avoid. I hadn't considered asking my seminar professor yet because I didn't do as well in the seminar in comparison. It was a boring topic for me, and I fell asleep often/did not participate as much as I should have. Would it be better to go with the bad psych letter or consider asking the seminar professor? Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[theseeker4]

I'm in a dilemma about who to ask for the non-science LOR. I'm currently a junior, and I've been trying to get my major requirements completed first while waiting to take most of my humanity electives senior year to reduce the stress of applications and interviews. After doing some research recently, I realized that some of the schools I wanted to apply to require a non-science LOR. I have only taken 2 humanities classes so far during freshman year. One of them was a large (100+) psychology class, and the other was a small seminar. I'm not sure if psychology even counts as non-science, but I asked this professor and she said that she does not remember me and can only write a letter about my grades, which is the kind of letter to avoid. I hadn't considered asking my seminar professor yet because I didn't do as well in the seminar in comparison. It was a boring topic for me, and I fell asleep often/did not participate as much as I should have. Would it be better to go with the bad psych letter or consider asking the seminar professor? Any advice greatly appreciated!

You haven't taken anything outside chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics other than those two humanities courses? Non-science doesn't mean it has to be humanities, it just can't be science..... I would avoid both those LORs myself....

 

[andrewpumpkin]

Unfortunately, no. I am a double major so I needed a lot of required classes...I know I should have planned better, but it's too late to regret now.

 

[andrewpumpkin]

My stats/activities are pretty good though. Is it worth a shot to try to convince the psych professor to write more personally?

 

[andrewpumpkin]

Unfortunately, no. I am a double major so I needed a lot of required classes...I know I should have planned better, but it's too late to regret now.

On second thought, does computer science count as non-science?

 

[WillburCobb]

On second thought, does computer science count as non-science?

Yup

 

[andrewpumpkin]

Yup

Oh shoot, the only compsci class I took was taught by a grad student and visiting faculty. I went to a lot of office hours and know them much better, but they're not exactly "professors"

 

[orthogenes]

Oh shoot, the only compsci class I took was taught by a grad student and visiting faculty. I went to a lot of office hours and know them much better, but they're not exactly "professors"

still much better

 

[Plecopotamus]

still much better

Computer science will not meet the "non-science" definition at many schools.

 

[WillburCobb]

Computer science will not meet the "non-science" definition at many schools.

Ummmmm.......qua????? Science = bio, chem, physics, and rarely but occasionally math and psych (depending on the school these can fall into either category).

 

[terp720]

do you have a pre-health committee that can write you a committee letter/packet?

My stats/activities are pretty good though. Is it worth a shot to try to convince the psych professor to write more personally?

 

[andrewpumpkin]

do you have a pre-health committee that can write you a committee letter/packet?

Yes, we do. I think they collect the individual letters and send them as a packet for us.

 

[andrewpumpkin]

Thanks for the input, guys! I asked my prehealth advisor about compsci counting as non-science and will hopefully hear back soon. If nothing works, I'll just ask the seminar professor. She's very nice so I'm hoping for the best.

 

[terp720]

Yes, we do. I think they collect the individual letters and send them as a packet for us.

It is my understanding that if you have a packet with the committee letter, that satisfies the school requirements, as most schools say "committee letter OR 3 individual letters".
But your committee may have their own requirements. This is what I did since I had difficulty meeting letter requirements at all the schools I applied to.

 

[andrewpumpkin]

It is my understanding that if you have a packet with the committee letter, that satisfies the school requirements, as most schools say "committee letter OR 3 individual letters".
But your committee may have their own requirements. This is what I did since I had difficulty meeting letter requirements at all the schools I applied to.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Though at least one school I was planning to apply to specifically requested a non-science letter. 🙁

 

[Plecopotamus]

Ummmmm.......qua????? Science = bio, chem, physics, and rarely but occasionally math and psych (depending on the school these can fall into either category).

You can google LOR requirements at various schools and pretty quickly see that the BCMP definition used by AMCAS is narrower than the ones used by some programs for LORs -- after all, if you wanted a LOR in a non-science, do you really think a letter from an engineering professor would be in the spirit of what you were seeking? Whereas AMCAS needs a really rigid definition since it's dealing with categorical entries.

BTW, my post should have said at many schools it will not meet the definition, not that at will not meet the definition at many schools . . . I did not look up the req's at enough schools to be quite that damning.

If you really don't have any others, I guess one should just use a CS LOR, but I think it's difficult to say whether it might hurt you. Some schools might not even notice, whereas others might be bothered (some schools have a significant interest in students being well rounded and require a certain # of credits completed in humanities). And if you're using a committee letter, I know my committee back in the day wouldn't accept CS LORs as non-science (and only some committees would be nice enough to tell you . . . others would just write something blunt in the committee letter about not having info to eval you in that capacity ).

OP, you need to check whether any of the schools you're applying to require you to take a certain # of credits/hours of non-science classes. Back when I was applying I had 2 programs that required I believe 32 credits in humanities. I remember that one o them was USC (which I think has now suspended its pre-reqs entirely?), but I don't remember the other one and have no idea how common it was among the numerous schools I did not apply to.

 

[WillburCobb]

You can google LOR requirements at various schools and pretty quickly see that the BCMP definition used by AMCAS is narrower than the ones used by some programs for LORs -- after all, if you wanted a LOR in a non-science, do you really think a letter from an engineering professor would be in the spirit of what you were seeking? Whereas AMCAS needs a really rigid definition since it's dealing with categorical entries.

BTW, my post should have said at many schools it will not meet the definition, not that at will not meet the definition at many schools . . . I did not look up the req's at enough schools to be quite that damning.

If you really don't have any others, I guess one should just use a CS LOR, but I think it's difficult to say whether it might hurt you. Some schools might not even notice, whereas others might be bothered (some schools have a significant interest in students being well rounded and require a certain # of credits completed in humanities). And if you're using a committee letter, I know my committee back in the day wouldn't accept CS LORs as non-science (and only some committees would be nice enough to tell you . . . others would just write something blunt in the committee letter about not having info to eval you in that capacity ).

OP, you need to check whether any of the schools you're applying to require you to take a certain # of credits/hours of non-science classes. Back when I was applying I had 2 programs that required I believe 32 credits in humanities. I remember that one o them was USC (which I think has now suspended its pre-reqs entirely?), but I don't remember the other one and have no idea how common it was among the numerous schools I did not apply to.

I agree 100% that OP should contact the schools to which he/she plans to apply to clarify what they’ll accept in regards to LORs. I was in the opposite predicament when applying this past cycle (i.e., difficulty getting a second science LOR) and contacted all the schools to which I applied (15 total) to see what disciplines fell into each category (science v. non). For every school I was told BCP for science and occasionally heard math and even less often psych. Some schools were very strict about the science being only BCP and wouldn’t even accept a letter from a neurobiology prof. because he was under the umbrella of the psych dept. despite teaching bio courses. Every school said that LORs from engineering profs. counted as non-science and a handful specifically mentioned comp sci as well (one school even threw geology/earth science into this category). I really doubt an adcom is going to rank one applicant higher than another just because the one applicant’s non-science letter is “more non-science” than the other applicant. In short, it is very likely that most schools will put comp sci under non-science, but OP should contact the schools to make sure.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Would a committee letter or a letter from a global health professor count as non science? My school sends comittee letters. Also I have a letter from a global health prof who has a PhD in biology, if they taught a global health class that was very policy based would this count as non science? I am mostly concerned about harvard lor requirements which state that they need one letter by a non science professor?