Who should I ask for a LOR? I need desperate help.

[Dr. Josh]

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I don't have many options for science LORs. Do I need two science LORs? I've barely taken the pre-reqs so i don't have a lot of science courses. Several were taken abroad a year ago and several were taken in summer school at a different college a year ago so they are not going to remember me now. I already graduated and intend to apply during the 2008 application cycle. But I need to get a job and start earning some money towards med school if by some miracle i get accepted.

My limited choices are listed below, please pick two if I need two.

1. the orgo 1 class I'm taking in summer school but it's not like the prof knows me well. I have talked to him a bit but nothing substantial and right now i have an A in the class.

2. the orgo 2 class I'm taking next semester with a different professor (the same one doesn't teach the courses during the summer) and try to get to know him well but i don't have much confidence in my ability to do well in the class.

3. the prof I had for cell bio and genetics. I had a 98 average going into each final. I ended up with an A in one and a B+ in the other. I have no clue how I could have blown the final so much; I had to have gotten around a 60 on it to get a B+. I wrote to her twice asking what I had gotten and have not received a response. meanwhile I had already asked for a LOR but don't know what happened with that. But now I'm afraid it won't be so great if i really blew the final in one of the courses.

4. take another science class next semester primarily to get a LOR, although based on another thread it seems maybe my genetics or something won't count as my bio 2 course.

5. beg schools to substitute psychology or something else for a science LOR


HELP ME PLEASE!! 😳

 

[ADeadLois]

Getting letters from classes you'll take in the upcoming year is a reasonable option. That's what I did, and it turned out fine. (That is, I got letters from profs for classes I took immediately before I applied)

And not to open another can of worms, but I would make sure that the schools you apply to accept your abroad and summer school pre-reqs.

 

[Dr. Josh]

Getting letters from classes you'll take in the upcoming year is a reasonable option. That's what I did, and it turned out fine. (That is, I got letters from profs for classes I took immediately before I applied)

And not to open another can of worms, but I would make sure that the schools you apply to accept your abroad and summer school pre-reqs.

I don't have any upcoming classes planned other than summer school orgo 2. I already graduated and was planning on looking for a job. My study abroad got put on my regular school's transcript so why wouldn't they count? it already is averaged into my gpa on my transcript. It was all done as part of my university's program. Wheareas my summer school ones weren't, why oh why shouldn't they count? Last summer, i had to get approval from my university to take them and the credits (but not the grades) got put on my transcript. Obviously since I already graduated nothing from this summer will be included on that transcript but why wouldn't they count? Sadly one is a retake of a previous pre-req. 🙁

 

[chickenlittle84]

I feel your pain. As a non-science major, I did not take many science courses beyond the pre-reqs (which are in gigantic lecture halls and it is nearly impossible to get to know the profs) and had a hard time figuring out who to get a science letter from. Here's what I did, maybe it will help you.

Luckily, my university does not require that the three letters we submit to them come from any particular source...so I got letters from profs in my major who can speak to my commitment to medicine, etc, and one from my current employer. I figured since these people know me well, the letters should stand out.

But then I got scared about not having a science letter, esp. since my science gpa is not so hot. So, I worked up the courage to ask my biochem professor, since I got an A in the class, and he was surprisingly nice about writing a letter. I knew he wouldn't be able to speak to my character in depth since I didn't get to know him as well as I should have, so the main purpose of this letter is to say the fact that she got an A in my class shows she can do science. I am going to send this letter as an extra, it won't go out with my main packet...

Could you do something like this, so you don't take away from the really strong letters?

 

[infinitejest]

I had something of a similar problem, only I'm a nontrad and took my classes several years ago. What I did was email or call each admissions department, explain my situation, and ask if my LOR writers would be acceptable (I had a biochem professor, my premed academic advisor at my school, and a manager of a lab I've been working at since then). Generally, the schools were okay with my writers, although some weren't having it. If I were you, I'd just cook up a generic email, get the email addresses of all the schools you're applying to, send out 20 or whatever emails with a full explanation of your circumstances (ie, I wasn't planning on applying to med school when I took some of these prereqs blah blah blah) and see what they have to say. Good luck!

 

[trevagandalf]

I don't have any upcoming classes planned other than summer school orgo 2. I already graduated and was planning on looking for a job. My study abroad got put on my regular school's transcript so why wouldn't they count? it already is averaged into my gpa on my transcript. It was all done as part of my university's program. Wheareas my summer school ones weren't, why oh why shouldn't they count? Last summer, i had to get approval from my university to take them and the credits (but not the grades) got put on my transcript. Obviously since I already graduated nothing from this summer will be included on that transcript but why wouldn't they count? Sadly one is a retake of a previous pre-req. 🙁

I was in a similar situation as you. I graduated early, so by the time i had to submit my application, I only had orgo 1 and 2 and bio 1 and 2. I got my orgo teacher who did not know me at all (like in a large lecture class of 200+ and i never went to class anyways) to write my a recommendation letter even though i got a B second semester and one of my bio teachers who I met like twice and I was TAing for her by then. They were nice and I gave them my CV, so they wrote something, probably not commenting much on my character, but it turned out fine.

 

[Dr. Josh]

I feel your pain. As a non-science major, I did not take many science courses beyond the pre-reqs (which are in gigantic lecture halls and it is nearly impossible to get to know the profs) and had a hard time figuring out who to get a science letter from. Here's what I did, maybe it will help you.

Luckily, my university does not require that the three letters we submit to them come from any particular source...so I got letters from profs in my major who can speak to my commitment to medicine, etc, and one from my current employer. I figured since these people know me well, the letters should stand out.

But then I got scared about not having a science letter, esp. since my science gpa is not so hot. So, I worked up the courage to ask my biochem professor, since I got an A in the class, and he was surprisingly nice about writing a letter. I knew he wouldn't be able to speak to my character in depth since I didn't get to know him as well as I should have, so the main purpose of this letter is to say the fact that she got an A in my class shows she can do science. I am going to send this letter as an extra, it won't go out with my main packet...

Could you do something like this, so you don't take away from the really strong letters?

I was thinking about that but wasn't sure if I NEEDED 2 science letters. I actually do have a good science GPA (except for orgo 1 which I'm retaking now). I'm going to get a hold of a MSAR and see which schools require 2 science letters). I also can get good letters from my profs in my major and from doctors.

 

[Dr. Josh]

I was in a similar situation as you. I graduated early, so by the time i had to submit my application, I only had orgo 1 and 2 and bio 1 and 2. I got my orgo teacher who did not know me at all (like in a large lecture class of 200+ and i never went to class anyways) to write my a recommendation letter even though i got a B second semester and one of my bio teachers who I met like twice and I was TAing for her by then. They were nice and I gave them my CV, so they wrote something, probably not commenting much on my character, but it turned out fine.

wow, you got it from your orgo prof under those circumstances, pretty good. I actually only have 30 in my orgo class so it's more conducive to him knowing who I am. However there are exactly 16 classes to a summer semester. Three of them are exams and two of them he wasn't there for. If I get an A, do you think I can ask him? How about if I go into the final with a high A but don't know what I'm getting on the final yet. I don't want to wait until after the semester is over because he will disappear and then forget I even existed. 🙁 I'm hesitant to give him my CV, well at least I'm hesitant to give my transcript because i got a D+ in orgo the first time around. Maybe I could give him my CV and mention my gpa and science gpa, which sort of sucks with my D+. What do you think?

 

[Fiddlergirl]

I wouldn't worry overmuch about the professor "not knowing you." As long as you've been going to class regularly you should be okay. Science professors tend to get a lot of "please write me an LOR" so they can pull it off pretty well. It helps to give them a CV, and if you did better in orgo the second time go ahead and mention the D+. It shows that you can learn from mistakes.

 

[Abilene85]

Can I just suggest...don't go for option #3 above if you don't have to. If the professor has ignored your request to discuss the final and seeminly blew you off about the LOR, I wouldn't have much faith in her level of responsibility. Even if she writes you a good letter, will she get it submitted by the deadlines?

 

[Dr. Josh]

Can I just suggest...don't go for option #3 above if you don't have to. If the professor has ignored your request to discuss the final and seeminly blew you off about the LOR, I wouldn't have much faith in her level of responsibility. Even if she writes you a good letter, will she get it submitted by the deadlines?

I actually thought she had already written the letter, just wasn't sure who to send it to and then school ended and i graduated. I keep hoping she's just on vacation and not checking e-mail. We had gotten along really well so i don't understand why she'd blow me off. And I have plenty of time to get the LOR; I'm not applying until the 2008 application cycle. I just want the LORs in order long before that and I'm afraid they'll forget me once they get busy again.

I wouldn't worry overmuch about the professor "not knowing you." As long as you've been going to class regularly you should be okay. Science professors tend to get a lot of "please write me an LOR" so they can pull it off pretty well. It helps to give them a CV, and if you did better in orgo the second time go ahead and mention the D+. It shows that you can learn from mistakes.

On another thread someone said not to just ask a professor for a LOR because I have an A in the class; they are supposed to really know me. I have a 100 average right now (average of the first exam was a 60, so I'd hope I stand out) but seem to tragically blow classes on the final, even though I study and am well prepared.

 

[Dr. Josh]

I was in a similar situation as you. I graduated early, so by the time i had to submit my application, I only had orgo 1 and 2 and bio 1 and 2. I got my orgo teacher who did not know me at all (like in a large lecture class of 200+ and i never went to class anyways) to write my a recommendation letter even though i got a B second semester and one of my bio teachers who I met like twice and I was TAing for her by then. They were nice and I gave them my CV, so they wrote something, probably not commenting much on my character, but it turned out fine.

So then do you think it's ok for me to get a LOR from a professor with whom I got a B+ and an A? I thought I knew her fairly well. I'm just concerned she's going to think something negatively of me because to have gotten a B+ in the class I had to have gotten a 60 something on the final exam...not sure how that happened. 🙁

 

[nabs86]

I had a similar problem because I go to a school where the science classes are huge. I had my lab professor write one of my LORs because I knew him fairly well since lab is much smaller than lecture. You could ask any of your lab instructors for a letter, preferably if they have a PhD.