The nonscience LOR-- some advice?

[obgyny]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Obviously it's ideal to get your nonscience LOR from a professor. However, I was a community college transfer student, and do to schedule constraints, I only had time to take science classes for my major while I was at my university. Besides one class in Advanced Expository Writing, I took all of my nonscience classes at my community college. I know a lot of schools require a LOR written by a "nonscience faculty member." So I was thinking I could ask for a LOR from:

1) The graduate student/TA who taught my Advanced Expository Writing class at a university. She gave me an A-, but it was an extremely difficult class and she did not give out A's lightly. I took this class my junior year. Unfortunately, there wasn't really a professor for the class, we were graded and taught exclusively by this grad student.

or

2) My English Composition community college instructor (not a PhD/prof). I had her for 2 semesters of Eng Comp. But I took these classes 5 years ago in a community college across the country. I got A's in both of her classes and she had written me LORs for college.

Which would you advise?

Thanks, I appreciate any input!

PS: My two science LORs will be from actual professors. I hope the fact that my nonscience LOR might be from a TA or community college instructor won't hurt my chances.

 

[Prism328]

hmmm you must have other nonscience profs from your university right? Profs with doctorates. I any case, I'd perfer your univ prof.

 

[apumic]

Needs to be a PhD-level LOR writer. LORs from <PhD (or other doctorate -- MD, PsyD, PharmD you worked under...) are generally worthless. Those 3 little letters do mean something. Don't use a TA.

 

[obgyny]

hmmm you must have other nonscience profs from your university right? Profs with doctorates. I any case, I'd perfer your univ prof.

Well like I said, I only took one nonscience class at my university, which was with this TA. I checked into all of my nonscience teachers from community college. The majority of them are just instructors, not professors, which is normally the case with community colleges (or at least the ones I've been to). The only PhD I encountered at community college was my philosophy prof, but there's no way he would remember me.

Besides, isn't the requirement a "nonscience letter from a faculty member?" Doesn't a community college instructor count as faculty?

 

[Evergrey]

I'm not sure if you're still in school or not but is it possible that you could take a social science/humanities class in a topic that you're passionate about, and hope that you could get a LOR from that class? I don't see any clear winner between the two that you mentioned.

 

[obgyny]

I'm not sure if you're still in school or not but is it possible that you could take a social science/humanities class in a topic that you're passionate about, and hope that you could get a LOR from that class? I don't see any clear winner between the two that you mentioned.

Nope, I graduated June 2009. I now work full-time. When I'm not working I'm studying for the MCAT and doing some volunteering. I won't have time to take a class before this upcoming application cycle. If I have a 3.99 GPA from a UC, plenty of EC's, research, worked throughout college, etc, and will be getting 2 strong letters from sci profs that I know pretty well (I've done a significant amount of research with each of them in addition to taking classes with them), then would the fact that my nonscience LOR is from a community college instructor really hurt my chances?

 

[Evergrey]

Nope, I graduated June 2009. I now work full-time. When I'm not working I'm studying for the MCAT and doing some volunteering. I won't have time to take a class before this upcoming application cycle. If I have a 3.99 GPA from a UC, plenty of EC's, research, worked throughout college, etc, and will be getting 2 strong letters from sci profs that I know pretty well (I've done a significant amount of research with each of them in addition to taking classes with them), then would the fact that my nonscience LOR is from a community college instructor really hurt my chances?

Ahh okay. I graduated when you did, sadly though I have made far less money than you!! I took another class, studied for the MCAT, then burned a hole in my pocket flying around the country paying some people long overdue visits.

Honestly I feel like you should go with whoever knows you better and would be able to endorse you more candidly. In terms of "impressiveness", I don't see a big difference between a LOR from a TA consigned by a PhD vs. one from a CC instructor with a MA.