Religious LORs

[gr8n]

Hi...

I have a question that I was hoping to get your input.

My girlfriend is applying this year and she was told in Kaplan to NOT USE letters of rec. from anyone religious (ministers) or anyone political.

Is this true? Why so?

Thanks

gr8n

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[LP1CW]

This is not true. I talked about God, my faith, in several of my secondaries. A supporting letter from a Clergy person will be fine. Especially, if she's Evangelical and applying to a school like Loma Linda. Or Catholic and applying to a Jesuit school.

If faith is part of her life, be honest and let it be. they will respect her more for expressing her faith.

 

[Sweet Tea]

I was very involved in my campus religious group while in college, and my minister wrote and LOR for me. She knows me very, very well, and had seen me work (I was an officer in the group for 3 years, president for 1, and organized a mission work trip for 30 people). She wasn't just a character reference for me, she was a work reference.

If your gf's faith and activities are important to her, then she should include it in her app and in her LORs. Just make sure she's not offensive in what she says-- for instance the sentence "It is one of my missions in life to convert everyone to worshipping the God of Cheese and to wash away all non-believers in an avalanche of velveeta," probably has no business being in her PS. However, a sentence like "My experiences in the Cheese Faith has enriched my life and given me opportunities to give to the community by working in soup kitchens by giving cheese to the hungry," would be a better choice.

(yes i know i'm being silly, but that's my point...you don't know who is reading the PS, so keep it neutral)

 

[L'elephante]

A clergy member that has known her for a while will not simply talk about Christianity, but will talk about her character and maturity as he watched he grow up. I used a letter of rec. from a Catholic bishop that has known me for a long time and has a history with my family and it's specifically going to be in my Creighton secondary.

 

[ASDIC]

i got a letter of recommendation from the religious soup kitchen...as long as you do something productive...it shudnt matter if it is religious or not.

the LOR shud praise you and not God

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Good input from the people here.

I had a LOR from a Religious Studies Prof. that I had taken 4 classes/seminars with. It helped to show my broadened experiences in life as an applicant. This was evident when the interviewer would tell me that the Religious Studies Minor/Background helped me stand out, and was a primary motivating factor in me gaining an interview.

 

[adamj61]

A clergy member that has known her for a while will not simply talk about Christianity, but will talk about her character and maturity as he watched he grow up. I used a letter of rec. from a Catholic bishop that has known me for a long time and has a history with my family and it's specifically going to be in my Creighton secondary.

I wish I had one of those for my creighton secondary. But if you pick option three, you must have 2 science, 1 non...the non being a prof I thought.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Father Merrin: The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, but powerful. So don't listen, remember that, do not listen. ~ The Exorcist

The demon is the Verbal section on the MCAT

Love your sig,

And yes, the VR section is a psychological mind****.

Regards,

-Salty

 

[sunni]

You know, I believe in the separation of Church & State, not the separation of Church & Individual.
I used a religious quote as my opener, & while I didn't dwell on how much I devote to my religion, I did use it b/c it is a huge part of who I am & has shaped my beliefs system. (I guess we'll see how this turns out later in the interview season)
If you grew up in a tough neighborhood, and that was your motivation to go to med school, no one would think twice about telling you to write about it.
I think no matter where you go, you will face some sort of adversity.
If it matters to your girlfriend, she shouldn't worry about it, besides who died & made Kaplan god?

 

[ASDIC]

Love your sig,

And yes, the VR section is a psychological mind****.

Regards,

-Salty

thanks...i loved that movie...i also read the book which is even better!!

 

[EMDream]

Unfortunately, I agree with the idea to keep religion out of your app unless you are only applying to religious affliated schools that are affliated with your religion specifically. My boyfriend mentioned he was muslim in an interview and from that point on the interviewer just hit him hard and would not stray off of pressing him about islam, totally threw him off. It turns out he was a christian convert that used to be a muslim. He did not get accepted, though it could have been related to his recent change in majors.

Yeah, it's risky.

 

[LP1CW]

My close friend attended seminary for a year and had his advisor right a LOR for him. I've seen the letter because his advisor gave him a copy. In it, it talked about how he has developed as a perspon in service to God and that for this person medicine is a form of ministry. It was about seeking where God wants us. It was a great LOR.

My friend talked openly about his faith. He had tons of success and is now starting medical school. He got invitations from many schools. His acceptance rate was very high too because he wasn't this generic student that all of us are starting to look like because we're presenting an image of who we think we should be.