How Much Does a "Strong" LOR Matter? Forum

[Humbert Humbert]

Looking for some honest advice. I am wondering how much a strong LOR can positively affect an application. By strong, I mean a letter written by a very well-renowned partner at a V10, who also is a long-time adjunct professor at a top school. Assume the letter is detailed and substantive. What sort of boost would such a letter give, particularly at said school?

Thanks

[sepeterson211]

LORs won't get you into a school where your numbers aren't right, but they will help if the ad comm is going back and forth between two applicants. The only exception I can imagine is if the professor worked at the top school you're applying to. Is that the case?

[Humbert Humbert]

LORs won't get you into a school where your numbers aren't right, but they will help if the ad comm is going back and forth between two applicants. The only exception I can imagine is if the professor worked at the top school you're applying to. Is that the case?

Yes, it is. I am wondering how much something like this would matter. I obviously know that LSAT and GPA are paramount - I am just trying to gauge how much of an effect something like this would typically have in the margins.

[Ti Malice]

Looking for some honest advice. I am wondering how much a strong LOR can positively affect an application. By strong, I mean a letter written by a very well-renowned partner at a V10, who also is a long-time adjunct professor at a top school. Assume the letter is detailed and substantive. What sort of boost would such a letter give, particularly at said school?

Thanks

Have you taken classes with this person? How will he or she speak credibly on your academic potential? At the places where LORs actually matter to an extent (YSB, above all), they're not usually going to be much impressed by non-academic recommendations, even if they come from people with impressive titles.

Such a recommendation is possibly more effective if the person is actually a current adjunct at that school, I suppose, but there's not much prior data to evaluate on that count.

[Humbert Humbert]

Looking for some honest advice. I am wondering how much a strong LOR can positively affect an application. By strong, I mean a letter written by a very well-renowned partner at a V10, who also is a long-time adjunct professor at a top school. Assume the letter is detailed and substantive. What sort of boost would such a letter give, particularly at said school?

Thanks

Have you taken classes with this person? How will he or she speak credibly on your academic potential? At the places where LORs actually matter to an extent (YSB, above all), they're not usually going to be much impressed by non-academic recommendations, even if they come from people with impressive titles.

Such a recommendation is possibly more effective if the person is actually a current adjunct at that school, I suppose, but there's not much prior data to evaluate on that count.

Thanks. For what it's worth, I work with this person (on a daily basis), and he is currently teaching at the school. Additionally, I am sitting in on his class this semester.