...Reference Letters?

[deleted812153]

Hi everybody, I have a few questions as somebody who has little idea what he's doing.

1: Are faculty letters mandatory, de-facto mandatory (like volunteering) or icing on the cake? I graduated last August in case it matters.

1A: I'm a bit at a loss for whom to ask. I can get one strong letter from a 1 semester A&P teacher in Junior Year. Candidates for letter #2:

• I could get another from a history professor in sophomore year (got an A and left a strong impression), or a psych professor (same year and story there)
• I could ask the prof I did research with from junior-senior. I didn't do the best job as a researcher to be entirely honest, and have no further interest in research ever again. I did do a good job in his class (micro)
  
• I could take a graduate class with the intent of getting a letter from there.

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[Espressso]

Hi everybody, I have a few questions as somebody who has little idea what he's doing.

1: Are faculty letters mandatory, de-facto mandatory (like volunteering) or icing on the cake? I graduated last August in case it matters.

1A: I'm a bit at a loss for whom to ask. I can get one strong letter from a 1 semester A&P teacher in Junior Year. Candidates for letter #2:

• I could get another from a history professor in sophomore year (got an A and left a strong impression), or a psych professor (same year and story there)
• I could ask the prof I did research with from junior-senior. I didn't do the best job as a researcher to be entirely honest, and have no further interest in research ever again. I did do a good job in his class (micro)
  
• I could take a graduate class with the intent of getting a letter from there.

Irony is when Donald Trump posts something saying: "has little idea what he's doing". That made me laugh.

Yeah, most schools require faculty LORs. Ideally, you would want one that's from a basic science prof & one from a non-science prof. Research mentors (although they're typically professors) don't count IF you didn't have him/her for a class/lecture. But, a letter from the PI of your lab or the post-doc that you worked along side with for some time is extremely valuable. Since the research prof was also your professor, if you go with his letter, you would want to specify with him that the letter should be focused on one or the other IMO. So, have him write one as your professor, or as your research mentor.

I don't think it's the right move to take a grad class strictly to get a letter. August grad isn't that long ago.

If I were you, I'd email every prof you had during your last and final semester and ask if they would be willing to write a letter. I assume you're applying this July? (17/18 cycle).. If so, get on it now when A) you're still fresh in the profs heads, and B) you have plenty of time to let them write a solid letter and extra time in case they fall through.

What classes did you take your last semester? I think asking a prof from sophomore year is a stretch. I would try to stick with profs from your last semester, assuming you did well and they were upper level science courses.

 

[psu228]

Hi everybody, I have a few questions as somebody who has little idea what he's doing.

1: Are faculty letters mandatory, de-facto mandatory (like volunteering) or icing on the cake? I graduated last August in case it matters.

1A: I'm a bit at a loss for whom to ask. I can get one strong letter from a 1 semester A&P teacher in Junior Year. Candidates for letter #2:

• I could get another from a history professor in sophomore year (got an A and left a strong impression), or a psych professor (same year and story there)
• I could ask the prof I did research with from junior-senior. I didn't do the best job as a researcher to be entirely honest, and have no further interest in research ever again. I did do a good job in his class (micro)
  
• I could take a graduate class with the intent of getting a letter from there.

Seems like the most stringent requirements in lieu of a committee letter are two LoRs from science faculty and one from a non science faculty member. Additionally, some schools require a DO or MD LoR.

Not all have this requirement but if you want to cover all your bases, get these done, upload them into AACOM and you'll be set to apply wherever.

 

[cptnjack]

Hi Mr. Trump, suggest 2-3 faculty science and maybe 1 non science and 1 volunteer to cover ALL your bases. Most DO schools require a DO letter now a days soooo you shuld get that as well