Recommendation from Housing Supervisor/Boss?

[snickersnicker]

I'm currently getting two strong recommendations from academic sources (one consitutional law professor, one philosophy professor who is also one of my thesis advisors), but would like to have the option of submitting a third. I've worked as a resident advisor for the past two years, and will be returning as one next year for the same boss. I'm considering getting either a letter from him, or from the overal housing supervisor at my university. My direct boss has better knowledge of my actual responsibilities as an RA, and could also serve as a good character reference, so I'm leaning more toward him. Would this be considered better than another letter of recommendation from an academic source? I could get one from the head of the political science department, but I've never actually had a class with her--we're just on very good terms.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Pardon Johnny Cash.]

I wouldn't go with the RA advisor.  I think his recommendation could marginally suggest that you're a decent person, but I doubt he'll be able to really speak to your ability to succeed as a law student.  The rule of thumb is always to error towards academic sources.

That said, you don't want to be redundant by submitting 3 letters of rec which pretty much say the same thing.  Schools will only spend so much time reading your app, so an extra rec which adds nothing new will only take away from other more unique and original portions of your application.

I think the head of the polisci dept could be helpful considering that this individual knows something about your academic promise and ability.  Since you're on good terms with this person and have not taken a class with this professor, one can infer that this person will write about more subjective qualities which won't appear in your other two LORs.  I think the important part is that this recommender can also mention and discuss at least in part, your intellectual capacity.  If this recommender is able to add new insights into you as a person while still speaking of your ability to succeed in law school, I would think that this is the route to go.

[snickersnicker]

Thanks a bunch. I think you're probably right. The department head doesn't know me as well as my boss, but I feel like her opinion will seem to have a little more credit than someone nonacademic.

[Pardon Johnny Cash.]

Thanks a bunch. I think you're probably right. The department head doesn't know me as well as my boss, but I feel like her opinion will seem to have a little more credit than someone nonacademic.

Another way to think about it, how many RA's is this supervisor most likely willing to write LORs for that will have no ability to succeed in law school  If this is the case, then law schools will seriously discount the LOR