Who to ask for LORs

[Emily722]

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Emily

 

[mlc54]

It sounds to me like "3 respected individuals" just means they don't want a friend, relative, classmate, etc. to be writing you a letter of recommendation. My 3 letters were from an OT that I shadowed, a professor I did a research project with, and my job supervisor. As long as you ask people who know you on a personal level, you should be all set.

When it comes to professors, you want them to be able to write more than "this student earned an 'A' in my class". If you have other professors that know you on a personal level and can write about your strengths and abilities, I would go with one of them.

Hope that helps! Good luck 😀

 

[RedHeadOT]

I agree with healthapples. I think it is important to have at least one of the letter be from an OT. You want the school to have an idea of how you work within the occupational therapy field, and your OT is going to be able to speak to this.

 

[BHSUStudent]

You will have to ask these people if they are willing and able to write an outstanding LOR for you. If a person hesitates for any reason, do not acquire a letter from them. The other professors that you know will be able to attest to your qualities, which will most likely lead to a better LOR. In your particular situation, I would consider the quality of the letter first, and credentials of the references second (as long as they are a professor, former employer from an OT related setting, or OT, you should be good)

Personally, I sought LORs from people who are advanced in their profession (have 20+ years of experience in their career and hold key positions or have advanced certification/specialization). For the most part, I planned this way ahead of time, which is what you want to do for an LOR. Sometimes unexpected things occur too, which is why you should also establish strong relations with many people.

IMO, acquiring a LOR from an OT is a must, since a lot of schools seem to prefer this, and it would add a lot of weight to your application. Concerning professors, I'd say that a pre-health professor that you took anatomy and physiology from is ideal.