Recommenders Forum

[bluedvl]

Is it important that both commendably were professors you had classes with? Or is it okay if one of them was someone I spent a summer working with but never had a class?

[No13baby]

As long as they can speak to your academic credentials, critical thinking, work ethic, etc. it should be fine. If you spent a summer working with a professor on research they almost certainly know you well enough to write a good LoR.

[mrtoren]

Assuming more LOR's are better than less, you should get all the academic ones that you can possibly get. One is usually the bare minimum. If you can get two, great. Three? Even better. However, if you can only get one...well then, it doesn't whether or not schools will view it negatively. Its what you have to work with. That's when work LOR's can come in. Keep in mind that LOR's usually don't make or break you. If your application package is strong, most schools will admit you regardless.

[ThreeRivers]

I transferred and was an education major / so not sure how well professors at old college remembered me. At new college all I took were primarily education professors who were INSANE on education / probably wouldn't support me going to law school (I always wanted to become a lawyer but following a 0.00 GPA in my 2nd semester I figured it would be wise to have a backup plan since I probably killed my goal of becoming a successful lawyer. Thankfully I've gotten all 4.0's since so I believe that goal is realistic again).

This led to my LOR's being quite weird because:
1. I got 1 really strong one from a professor who knows me really well / likes me a lot and I feel he'll write a great one.
2. I've helped out on a HS basketball team / HS basketball camp for some $ and I had the headcoach of that team write me a LOR, he likes me a lot / knows me really well and I imagine he'd write a strong one

But the problem lies in:
3. I figured I'd get a LOR from old school... I knew 2 professors really well, but I went to find them and discovered that neither worked there anymore / I couldn't find them. I then went to a professor who knew me decently I guess but it was awhile ago... and he barely even recognized me did the whole "O YES I REMEMBER YOU".. and it wasn't convincing / was very awkward. Anyways he agreed to write me a LOR / asked for my resume.

Should I even submit that 3rd LOR? I wanted to get a third one so I could have 2 academic LOR but idk the guy barely even remembered me...