Targetted Letters of Rec? Forum

[lakerfanimal]

I tried to look for the info using the search function and didn't find much..

Would a school specific letter of rec help that much in your opinion?? (If you yourself have first-hand experience with this, that'd be awesome). I'm only applying this fall but I'm going to get my letters organized by about April so I can have them in by the end of the academic year in June.

Any input is greatly appreciated

Stats wise I'll be close to a 3.8 with a 166 and a 172 re-take. I don't have one school I'm set on going to, but I think Berkeley is my top choice because I want to stay in California but be able to work anywhere potentially.

Edit- Also in your opinion would it be ok to have all the letters be from professors, or should I get one from a past boss?

Thank you!!!

[JOThompson]

Negative LORs can break an application, but they don't seem in and of themselves to give a noticeable edge in the app process. In my position, I would seek out every possible advantage, however slight. With your LSAT and GPA, I don't think you'll gain that much out of a school specific LOR. Your letters should be from academic sources, unless you've been in the workforce for a long time. Good luck!

[WhiskeyGuy]

Definitely submit targeted letters to Stanford, if you are applying there.

[lakerfanimal]

Alright, maybe I will do that for Stanford then.

Thanks for the input!

[nyred10]

I think a targeted LOR would carry the most value if the person writing it has a connection to the school. I don't think there is much difference between "Joe Jones would be a great fit for U of X Law School because..." versus "Joe Jones will excel in law school because..." unless the person writing it is affiliated with that school somehow, be it as a faculty member or graduate. If anything, it could make life difficult for you when you are trying to assign the correct letter of recommendation to each school, since you can't see what each says on the LSAC site. It would also be more work for the professor.

[WhiskeyGuy]

There is another situation in which targeted letters could help: when you are above median and at risk of being yield protected. Having one or more targeted letters and a strong "Why X" essay could be enough to avoid the YP waitlist.

[im_blue]

Stats wise I'll be close to a 3.8 with a 166 and a 172 re-take. I don't have one school I'm set on going to, but I think Berkeley is my top choice because I want to stay in California but be able to work anywhere potentially.

Stanford should be your top choice with those numbers.

You should have the minimum number of LORs all from professors, and then submit an extra from your boss.