Would this class count towards my science LOR?

[California Bear]

Hey y'all,

So I took a class during undergrad that was designed to give students the opportunity to work with elementary and middle school students in a science teaching/learning environment. The class and lab were both listed under the Biology Dept and I was wondering if asking the professor for a LOR would count towards my science LOR?

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

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[libertyyne]

Hey y'all,

So I took a class during undergrad that was designed to give students the opportunity to work with elementary and middle school students in a science teaching/learning environment. The class and lab were both listed under the Biology Dept and I was wondering if asking the professor for a LOR would count towards my science LOR?

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

That is weird that the class was listed under bio and not education. As long it is under the bio department it should count .

 

[California Bear]

That is weird that the class was listed under bio and not education. As long it is under the bio department it should count .

Yeah, the class/lab was titled "Biology Hands-On Laboratory" and it was also an upper-div. Here's the course description, for those who want to provide additional feedback:

"Designed to give students the opportunity to work with elementary and middle school students in a science teaching and learning environment. The hands-on lessons provide early teaching experience in science for undergraduates interested in K-8 teaching as a career. Prerequisites: BIOL 1000, 1001, or equivalent; consent of instructor required for biology majors. GE Area B6, upper division science, is a 4-unit requirement. To complete the requirement, students must take an additional science 3080 course or an additional 4-unit course approved for B6."
​

My only concern is, do admissions want a letter writer that can attest to my ability to succeed in learning difficult science concepts? Because this class was more about applying different teaching methods in a laboratory setting.

 

[libertyyne]

Yeah, the class/lab was titled "Biology Hands-On Laboratory" and it was also an upper-div. Here's the course description, for those who want to provide additional feedback:

"Designed to give students the opportunity to work with elementary and middle school students in a science teaching and learning environment. The hands-on lessons provide early teaching experience in science for undergraduates interested in K-8 teaching as a career. Prerequisites: BIOL 1000, 1001, or equivalent; consent of instructor required for biology majors. GE Area B6, upper division science, is a 4-unit requirement. To complete the requirement, students must take an additional science 3080 course or an additional 4-unit course approved for B6."
​

My only concern is, do admissions want a letter writer that can attest to my ability to succeed in learning difficult science concepts? Because this class was more about applying different teaching methods in a laboratory setting.

as long as it is from a science professor and this course was given through the department of biology it doesn't matter. Provided they will say nice things about you.

 

[California Bear]

as long as it is from a science professor and this course was given through the department of biology it doesn't matter. Provided they will say nice things about you.

Yes, both the professor and class are listed under the Biology Dept.

Thank you! Have a good week

 

[aldol16]

The idea of a science letter is to have feedback from faculty who can speak about your scientific abilities as it relates to the classroom. If you feel like this person can, go for it. If not, don't. Try to look behind the text of the LOR guidelines to see the intent.

 

[California Bear]

The idea of a science letter is to have feedback from faculty who can speak about your scientific abilities as it relates to the classroom. If you feel like this person can, go for it. If not, don't. Try to look behind the text of the LOR guidelines to see the intent.

Does each school have their own specific guidelines for LORs?

 

[gyngyn]

Does each school have their own specific guidelines for LORs?

Yes, individual schools will tell you how many letters and from whom. You can find them in the MSAR.
The Guidelines for the content of the letter are from AMCAS.

 

[libertyyne]

The idea of a science letter is to have feedback from faculty who can speak about your scientific abilities as it relates to the classroom. If you feel like this person can, go for it. If not, don't. Try to look behind the text of the LOR guidelines to see the intent.

Last I checked the science requirements were school specific rather than guidelines from the aamc. And a committee letter is given preference over individual letter writers. Furthermore, the scientific competencies outlined by the aamc guide can be seen outside the class like a PI writing for you rather than a professor with 200 other students, but that doesn't meet the technical standards of the letter set forth by many schools. The letter could also be valuable for an applicant if it touches on the other competencies which out number the scientific ones in the aamc guide.

 

[California Bear]

I would suggest that the criteria here should be expectations of adcom and not the technical fulfillment of the LOR. While this course is out of biology department under a biology faculty, this is an education course and may be looked at by the adcom as such. Traditional science course instructor would be a better route

If that is the case, do most schools follow the AAMC guidelines for letters? I've noticed that most schools only request that a letter be from science faculty and aren't so specific on the letter's content and whether it should emphasize my scientific abilities.

 

[libertyyne]

If that is the case, do most schools follow the AAMC guidelines for letters? I've noticed that most schools only request that a letter be from science faculty and aren't so specific on the letter's content and whether it should emphasize my scientific abilities.

This is the reason they prefer committee letters.

 

[aldol16]

Last I checked the science requirements were school specific rather than guidelines from the aamc. And a committee letter is given preference over individual letter writers. Furthermore, the scientific competencies outlined by the aamc guide can be seen outside the class like a PI writing for you rather than a professor with 200 other students, but that doesn't meet the technical standards of the letter set forth by many schools. The letter could also be valuable for an applicant if it touches on the other competencies which out number the scientific ones in the aamc guide.

I never said that the science requirements were AAMC guidelines as opposed to school guidelines, nor did I mention committee letters. Outside of a committee letter (which not every undergraduate institution offers), if a school says that it wants a letter from a science faculty member who has taught you, then it wants input about your academic abilities as a scientist in a classroom setting. If it says it wants a letter from science faculty that can speak to your scientific abilities, then that's different.

 

[California Bear]

Do y'all think it would be ill-advised to just list this professor as one of my two science LORs and have my other professor (who taught physiology) be my second LOR and speak more on my academic abilities? I just really feel like my professor for this science education class would write me a strong LOR given the fact that I took her class three times, and my personal statement touches on my passion for teaching.

 

[libertyyne]

Do y'all think it would be ill-advised to just list this professor as one of my two science LORs and have my other professor (who taught physiology) be my second LOR and speak more on my academic abilities? I just really feel like my professor for this science education class would write me a strong LOR given the fact that I took her class three times, and my personal statement touches on my passion for teaching.

My perspective is it meets the technical requirements for the letter. Could you get an additional letter from a science professor ?

 

[California Bear]

My perspective is it meets the technical requirements for the letter. Could you get an additional letter from a science professor ?

Yes, definitely! Since most schools ask for two science faculty, do you think it's fine if only one of them emphasizes my scientific competencies? I personally think having it done this way would allow adcoms to gain a more complete perspective of me in different areas.