Should I submit an average LOR?

[Surf Rx]

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Hey guys. I've been volunteering at my local hospital for about four years now and I asked the volunteer coordinator to write me a LOR. She's an elderly lady and she's never written a LOR before (it's just high schoolers and old folk who volunteer at this hospital - and me). Anyways, I'm under the impression that the letter is going to be pretty plain and average, so would it even be worthwhile to submit this letter to schools? FYI, I'm a reapplicant, have taken a year off, and I don't have any other new letters since the last time I applied, although the ones I do have have been updated.

 

[146233]

I would think that, as a reapplicant, you'll want to avoid mediocrity in your application. As such, is there no one else from whom you can get a letter? Assistant Volunteer Coordinator? If at all possible, I'd recommend you find someone that can write you the phenominal letter you want to really talk you up.

 

[Bluesmurf314]

You could also send her a link to your UG school's career center, if they have one, where there might be some advice on writing the letter. It always helps people to have some guidance. If she's your only shot, I'd also write her an email/letter and stress important things that you'd like to have her include in the letter (i.e., you've seen me in thus-and-thus capacity handling a workload well, etc etc, so I feel that you would be a good person to get a letter of rec from)
Just my $.02

 

[Blanket]

This is what i would do...go to her and tell her that others writing you a letter requested a little blurb about yourself, would she like something similar in writing? Then, write something up. Write in such a tone so that she can just copy paste into her letter. (this works assuming she hasn't written the letter yet). In the letter include everything that you have done and make it good (mediocore isn't gonna cut it plus it sounds like she can do that on her own). If she has already written the letter then just listen to what others are saying (don't know what to say in that case).