Trouble with LORs - any advice?

[mikhiel]

ACK... I submitted my AADSAS in mid-June, taking the DAT on Aug 12, have a 3.56 overall, 3.39 science GPA. I got letters from a dentist at UWSoD, a bio prof, and a medical research scientist whose lab I worked in for a year.

But I'm missing a second professor LOR!!! My genetics professor from spring quarter agreed to write me one, but my A- in his class turned into a B- after the final exam. One lousy day. I recently emailed him to see if he was still willing, but he's out of his office until mid-Aug. We'll see what happens.

So for now, I'm getting secondaries mailed to me and other notices from the schools I applied to (Tufts, BU, UPenn have all contacted me), but I don't fulfill the LOR requirements.

Does anyone have any advice? I'm leaving on August 18 for a month-long study abroad program in Croatia & Bosnia-Herzegovina, and I won't be back until Sept 22. It's making it difficult to start thinking about meeting up with professors in the summer.

Is my only option to wait until fall quarter starts and then start tracking down other professors? Does anyone think I stand a chance at still getting one from the genetics professor? Am I basically screwed for the 2005 cycle?

The dentist who wrote me a letter is a part-time lecturer and faculty member in the dental school. Would that count as a faculty/professor letter?

Thanks for any advice! I really appreciate it!

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[HBomb]

Personally, I thinnk you need to get this resolved before you go on your trip. Get that LOR. If not from your bio prof, then from someone else. Timing now means a lot, so IMO, you can't afford to wait until you get back.

Most of your other questions are very subjective, and you're the one who can best answer those...except for the one...no, you're not screwed for the 2005 cycle, not yet!!! Just get your app complete and submitted before you go abroad.

 

[Calculus1]

I agree with HBomb, you need to get that crap taken care of. I had LOR problems when I applied(the predent "advisor" was absolutely useless) but the three TX schools still granted me interviews with only 1 of the letters required, I eventually got them all in and no prob on the acceptances. Call the schools you're applying to and ask them if they need all your LORs for an interview, because most schools grant them based entirely on the min DAT and GPA reqs not what your LORs say.

 

[BigRed12]

My situation may be a bit different than yours, but I have been out of school for a few years, so I have not been in touch with my professors from the large state school that I attended. I contacted the schools I am aplying to and they said it would be fine to submit letters from other sources that would know my potential as a student. Just another option...

 

[onetoothleft]

I agree, make sure that you get a LOR from somewhere. I would not worry about getting a B- in the class. I got two of my letters from teachers who gave me a B. it doesn't matter that much. If they recommend you, then they recommend you. Circular logic aside, most teachers are really nice and helpful about this, they are on your team.