Prof? "Employer"? Both?

[pasm]

hello everyone, i'm new to the boards. so far i've learned a lot, but this is something of a special circumstance that i cant seem to narrow down.

so 2-3 letters, right?

(a) i'm a volunteer firefighter, emt, got some medals for saving a few lives, also had a ceiling crash on my head in a fire. im going to make this into a personal statement. ive been doing it for three years. the captain of my company, whom ive been under for all 3 years, him and i get along very well. he is very successful in the financial industry (im talking over 300k a year and extremely smart and well versed). he would also talk me up well.

(b) i interned in a law office in london last semester. one of the lawyers i worked with i was pretty close with. we got along well, made each other laugh, and she liked the work i did. she is also very intelligent, well versed, and would talk me up well.

(c) one professor i want to get a lor from i have for the second time currently. he wrote my lor to get into the internship in london i spoke about. i got a B+ in his first class, and this semester i will definitely be getting an A. however, he doesn't know me all that well, but im trying to get him to know me better, even though he seems rather detached. the last lor he wrote for me, i actually wrote, and he just signed and mailed in. it did get help me get the internship.

(d)i dont really have another professor i feel comfortable asking, except a professor i have now but have never had before. im very active in discussions in his class, we get along well for the brief moments ive had private conversation with him. i just finished a paper for his class that kicks ass, so i think he should see that im a good student after he reads it (and i aced his test). however, i will need to wait at least a few weeks so he can get to know me better, enough to write the lor.


so those are my four options. i have no clue how to pick 2-3 of them. should i stick with just the two professors, and wait til the semester comes to a close? should i add a third letter? if so, (a) or (b)? should i use (a) and (b) and then pick one professor? which professor?


any guidance would be GREATLY appreciated.

[heartbreaker]

If you're still in UG, you really need two academic letters (from either professors or TAs who have taught you). Unfortunately, there's not really a way around it.

As for supplemental recs, recommendations are supposed to comment on the qualities that would make you a good law student. When you say they will "talk you up well," I'm taking it to mean that they'll say you're very motivated, smart, blah blah blah, and while that's nice, it will not really add to your application. Just because THEY are accomplished doesn't mean your application becomes more accomplished by osmosis.

Focus on getting the two academic recs. If you need to add a third (which, in most cases, you do not), make sure that it's someone who can write a rec that says more than "[XXXXX] is a great person."

[pasm]

thank you for the response. i guess i will stick with the two professors. will it hurt me much to wait another month to let the professors know me a little more?

[Clayton]

Most schools will take 3 LOR, some will take 4.


Personally, I would get two professors first, then your "captain," and last the lawyer from london.
 


Keep in mind that general LOR are distributed in the order they are received. So if a school took only 2 LOR, and your captain and london sent their LOR in first the school would not see the two from your professors.

Ideally you would be applying right now, so the quicker the better.