LOR from my Boss? I work in a restaurant... Forum

[darkatillam2]

So I'm 4+ years out of school, and moved hours away from my UG school a while ago.


I tried e-mailing some old professors, got nothing.


I was self employed post college for 2 years, then starting working in restaurants.

I do have 1 professional LOR from a lawyer I used to work for. Other than that, nothing.


I need one more LOR badly, however, the only person I could think of is my current boss at the restaurant I work in. I know law schools want academic LORs or at LEAST LORs that talk about translatable skills from the current job I'm in, into law school. However, I don't see how restaurant work includes many transferable skills.

Question is: should I just get a LOR from my current boss even though it's from an industry law school admissions won't give a shit about?

[bp shinners]

Only if you absolutely exhaust every other possibility. E-mailing a few old professors isn't even close to enough. You're hours away, not days. Make the trip, talk to some of the professors, e-mail more, do whatever it takes to find that academic LoR.

[darkatillam2]

That's good advice, but I still don't see it happening.

I went to a large public. I was one face in over 200-300 students. I tried tracking down some of my favorite professors whom I took with fewer than 40 students and most, if not all, have moved to another schools across the country.

Again, I've been out of school for 4+ years. I'm really not sure an academic LOR is possible.

But, I do understand what you are saying. Everything else > my boss at the restaurant

[mrtoren]

That's good advice, but I still don't see it happening.

I went to a large public. I was one face in over 200-300 students. I tried tracking down some of my favorite professors whom I took with fewer than 40 students and most, if not all, have moved to another schools across the country.

Again, I've been out of school for 4+ years. I'm really not sure an academic LOR is possible.

But, I do understand what you are saying. Everything else > my boss at the restaurant

You haven't put in nearly enough time before calling defeat. You need to spend the next two weeks tracking these people down. That means personal visits and repeated emails. Sell your soul in search of that letter. The more the better, but you really need at least one. If you really can't make it happen, thats that. You work with what you got.

[094320]

..

[darkatillam2]

Sound advice.

I will do what I can. Right now, the Oct. LSAT is consuming all of my time. After I take it, I will need to finish my PS, then it's time to collect the last LOR, then send all my apps out before Nov. 1st.

The point is time is an issue and I'd rather not spend a huge amount of time (driving to my UG school - 7 hours round trip, plus crossing my fingers one of my prof's remember me) on LORs if I don't absolutely have to. I know schools really prefer academic LORs, but I have so much on my plate right now, that it looks like I might just go with a weaker LOR if it comes down to it.

[bp shinners]

The point is time is an issue and I'd rather not spend a huge amount of time (driving to my UG school - 7 hours round trip, plus crossing my fingers one of my prof's remember me) on LORs if I don't absolutely have to.

Some will probably disagree with this, but you absolutely have to try this. I know, it sucks. But not having an academic LoR, especially when the alternative is a letter from a boss at your waiting job, is going to negatively affect your applications.

Even if they don't remember you, you can still press for a LoR. At big schools, the profs are used to writing letters for people they've completely forgotten, or never knew. Just bring something you did for their class (a paper or other assignment) and have them write something for you.

[darkatillam2]

Fml.


You really think it will HURT my app to have it from my boss?

So an academic one that is terrible and generic vs. a stellar one from my employer = always choose the academic?

[4910]

the point of a law school lor is to gauge how successful you will be in an academic environment. if it is generic but says you got a good grade, you were a good student, etc, it is better than one from a restaurant that has nothing to say about your academics. pick a professor who gave you an A to write it.

[Oban]

Eh, I think it doesn't matter, most schools have started to indicate they don't care about LORs, and they really hate generic/fake ones from professor who don't know you. A genuine one from your boss should be good.

Admissions are about GPA/Lsat anyway. If you have the LSAT score and GPA, no school will ding you for LORs

[darkatillam2]

Eh, I think it doesn't matter, most schools have started to indicate they don't care about LORs, and they really hate generic/fake ones from professor who don't know you. A genuine one from your boss should be good.

Admissions are about GPA/Lsat anyway. If you have the LSAT score and GPA, no school will ding you for LORs

This is what I was thinking. Was trying to see if others felt the same. That's why I don't want to waste the time getting a academic one at the expense of losing study time for my LSAT and/or having to apply later in the cycle.

[mrtoren]

This is what I was thinking. Was trying to see if others felt the same. That's why I don't want to waste the time getting a academic one at the expense of losing study time for my LSAT and/or having to apply later in the cycle.

You must have selective hearing. One person telling you what you want to hear does not invalidate all of the other comments in support of the opposite position. Will a letter of recommendation break you if you're over the 75th percentiles for both GPA and LSAT at a given school? No, probably not. Will it if you're at or around the 50th percentiles? Yes, potentially. Will it if you're at or around the 25th percentiles? Yes, almost certainly. So it depends on what your numbers are and where you want to apply.

It would be irrationally stupid to leverage your future admission to law school on a lack of motivation. We're talking about emails if nothing else. You can send follow up after follow up and attach previous work to those emails for consideration. You should visit in person. Oh, and that LSAT study time excuse is BS. Let's be real. Its a couple hours of effort and that will not make or break you. If you would get on this already you wouldn't be applying later in the cycle either.

#Coffeeoverload.

[JenDarby]

Fml.


You really think it will HURT my app to have it from my boss?

So an academic one that is terrible and generic vs. a stellar one from my employer = always choose the academic?

I did not read the other answers, but here is my LOR situation.

I had one from a coworker and one from a TA. I think it's important to have one "academic" one, but I only spent 2 years in UG and was 4 years out when I applied to LS. I did not make any connections with professors and had lived in four other states by the time I applied, so I was very far away and far removed. I do not think my LORs had any impact on my cycle. The LOR from my TA was very basic but got the job done.