One LOR, One low grade

[Dr. Balsenschaft]

Just got my grades back: A, A, A-, A-, B. Rank hasn't come out yet but I should be in the top 10% or just outside that range. I asked a professor in one of my year-long classes to give me a letter of recommendation so I can transfer. I only need one for the schools I'm applying to. I got an A- first semester in his class but he ended up giving me the B second semester. He wasn't going to write the letter until issuing grades. I never missed a class, was always prepared, and talked in class when I had something to say but was not a gunner. He told me he thought I was one of the better students in that class when I asked him to write the letter. How do you think the B will factor into the LOR he writes for me?

[brightline]

Ask if you can see the letter before he sends it.

If you waive access on the lsac form, that only means you can't look at the letter once the school receives it, not that you can't look at the letter before he sends it.

Can you get a letter from someone else?

If his letter is bad, you can have him send it in anyway, then deactivate it IMMEDIATELY so it doesn't go to the schools. Then, only activate the "good" letter from the other prof.

[Louder Than Bombs]

while the rec prob won't be as glowing as it would had you received an a+, he'll probably look at the rest of the grades and think 'hmm. that b grade is an outlier. maybe he just had a really bad day' and write a nice reco for you. if you're concerned, you might want to feel him out. bring up your grade with him (he doesn't know what you got...blind grading) and ask if he still feels confident enough about your abilities to write the letter. if he agrees, he's not going to write a bad letter.