LOR from nationally recognized fiction writer? Forum

[wachtellmemore]

Hi there,

I'm applying to law school in 2011 (for class of '15). I'm collecting LORs right now and I'm trying to decide if I should ask for an LOR from my "Fiction Workshop" professor. Will admission officers judge an LOR from a creative writing professor less than ideal because creative writing is a mostly non-analytical field of study? I already have 3 LORs from English professors. But my creative writing professor is a nationally-recognized author with whom I have a personal connection. Do you think this recommendation will be worthwhile and should replace one my my English professors' LORs in my app?

My stats:

3.58 from an Ivy
English major
LSAT: TBD but testing at around 170
2 years work experience in public relations and started a video production company

Thanks for your input!

[whymeohgodno]

Won't matter.

[TLSNYC]

LORs are hoops to jump through and rarely even serve as tiebreakers.

[albanach]

As none of us have been admissions officers, we can only speculate.

Here's what I think. If you already have a good academic LOR, and the author really does know you well enough to write two pages about you, then go for it.

There's always the possibility your app will be reviewed by someone who knows of the author. If that's the case, your app will be more memorable - but only if the author can write something personal about you.

If you get a LOR that doesn't demonstrate a close knowledge of you as an individual, it will look like you picked them for a reference because of their fame, and that could hurt your app.