LOR from thesis advisor

[Mori]

Although I would like to get a LOR from one of my UGrad professors, it seems unlikely.

For starters, one of the professors who wrote me a LOR for graduate school recently had a stroke, and his wife said he obviously is unable to write one right now. Secondly, since I am in graduate school, I have asked many of my undergraduate professors  to write  me LOR's for pre-doctoral fellowships and grants over the past 2-3 years, all of them being under the impression that I am actually going to be pursueing a career in academic research.

So I am not 100% sure I will be able to get a solid LOR from an UGrad professor...not to mention I have been out of UGrad since 2002-3.

I can get at least 4-5 of excellant LOR from my professors in my Graduate department, attesting to my academic peformance, and how I measure up to the rest of the students in my class.

1 of the letters I am getting from my PhD advisor
2-3 from my thesis committee
1 from a research assistant professor who has known and worked with me for 5 years.


Should I really try and push to get a LOR from an UGrad professor? Or should I go with LOR that I know will be strong, persuasive and enthusiastic, BUT has nothing to do with my UGrad studies.


My instinct tells me to go with what I know will be strong...

[PaleForce]

Go for the strongest ones.  They're the most recent, and they're still academic.  I can't see why a LS would care that you got it from a grad prof instead of from UG.

[snarkygirl]

i think it's supposed to be academic, not necessarily from undergrad.  a lot of these kiddos say that because they are still in undergrad. 

[Mori]

I was reading some responses from other people who had a similar situation, and several posters responding saying that since my LSDAS is a reflection of my UGrad studies, that one of my LOR should be sourced from an UGrad professor for that reason alone.

[PaleForce]

I was reading some responses from other people who had a similar situation, and several posters responding saying that since my LSDAS is a reflection of my UGrad studies, that one of my LOR should be sourced from an UGrad professor for that reason alone.

You might want to call an admissions dept to check into this further, but honestly, I can't see why it would make a difference.  If the graduate professors know you better, they're better able to speak to your abilities/likely success in LS. 

To me, it's kind of like having 2 UG profs- one who is famous for having discovered the velocity of an unladen swallow, and another who hasn't done anything extraordinary.  The first barely knows you, you & 200 other students had a 100-level lecture with him, the other supervised independent study for you your senior year and you worked intensively with him a few times a week.  It's tempting to go with the first, but you'd better go with the other guy because he knows you a lot better.

[Mori]

I totally agree with you. I am actually meeting with an admissions counselor for Chicago-Kent next month, I can bring it up then to him/her. I will also call around and see what other places say.

How is your studying going btw PaleForce?

[PaleForce]

I totally agree with you. I am actually meeting with an admissions counselor for Chicago-Kent next month, I can bring it up then to him/her. I will also call around and see what other places say.

How is your studying going btw PaleForce?

Pretty good, thanks for asking, Mori!;D  I'm working the bibles right now, alternating sections.  Getting ready to cut up half of my practice tests (I've got 40) so I can study games and LR sections in smaller doses, going along with the chapters in the bibles.  How's yours coming?

Make sure to let us know what Chi-Kent says about the LORs, I'm interested to hear what they think.

[Mori]

Its coming along...I got done with both bibles yesterday. So I am going through each of the Powerscore lesson books (12 lessons), which basically covers everything again from in the bibles, plus has more questions and drills to solidify the info. I am doing timed sections and practice tests on the weekends.

I am also doing the speed reading thing. That has doubled my speed, and the last PT I took, I missed -1 on RC with 3 minutes left on the timer. My LR and games need work though.

We gots 2.5 months!!

[PaleForce]

We gots 2.5 months!!

Dear God, don't remind me!