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How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:02 am
by gottago
edit
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:16 am
by transferror
A "rescission"? So you are already in at one of HYS?
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:00 am
by A. Nony Mouse
Why do you think he would amend his letter? Aren't you already accepted? Why would he bother and why would anyone care?
As for the extra credit request, I can tell you that there are a lot of profs out there who find those completely inappropriate. No, you don't get special treatment to make up for work you should have done previously. (Obviously if your other profs have agreed to this it's not a universal reaction but many many profs do not like requests for extra credit.)
And why on EARTH do you think he'd fail you if you really earned a B? That sounds incredibly paranoid. Profs don't just fail someone who has a B because they're annoyed that you didn't work as hard as in previous semesters.
I'm not sure if you should go to the dean (not really sure what you'd be trying to get out of it), but I would strongly recommend not raising a concern that this professor will fail you, since you haven't received failing grades. I'd also probably not bring up the fear that he'd amend his letter, because I've never heard of a professor doing that, ever. And I don't think going to the dean to ask for extra credit makes a lot of sense, but it depends on that dean's perspective (the prof may be passing the buck by expecting the dean to tell you no, or may honestly be wondering whether the powers that be think extra credit is appropriate).
(For the record: I was a prof for 9 years.)
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:36 am
by wtrc
There's objectively zero reason to worry. If you have a B now you won't be getting an F by the time the semester is over in a month (unless you like, don't show up for the final). He won't amend his LoR. Profs aren't out to get you. Really, don't worry about this.
And I've never heard of HYS taking back an acceptance because grades fell a bit. Even if you got a C you'd be okay, IMO, and I've seen nothing to make me question this...
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:23 pm
by cron1834
Like Nony, I taught/graded and wrote rec letters for my university (though not for 9 years). I can't tell you how bizarre it would be for someone to go back and change a rec letter out of spite. I also don't understand how you can equate a B on a paper to a Fail for the course. You need to relax, dude. All that's left for you is to graduate and not get a DUI when you celebrate.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:29 pm
by ph14
OP has been accepted to at least
HLS and YLS, so it doesn't really matter. PBK will be on your resume for life but you don't want to hurt your relationship with the professor. You're going to have to figure out whether it is smart to pursue getting PBK at the potential cost of hurting your relationship with your recommender.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:17 am
by SFrost
To be frank, the OP doesn't seem at all ready for law school let alone a professional environment.
It's great that you got into a top school, but you need to learn how to interact with people as well.
I'm also wondering how true it is that the professor called you 'brilliant'

Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:54 am
by Balthy
SFrost wrote:
I'm also wondering how true it is that the professor called you 'brilliant'

Even if he did you just don't go telling people you are regarded as "brilliant," unless it's by your mother or a pack of 5-yr-olds. Just my opinion but nbd either way..it was somewhat useful in describing the situation I guess.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:12 am
by Hipster but Athletic
If you've violated a condition of your offer of admission, and they elect to use their option to terminate, I think that's fucking bullshit for you to try to characterize that as rescission.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:30 am
by SnakySalmon
SFrost wrote:To be frank, the OP doesn't seem at all ready for law school let alone a professional environment.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:48 am
by Hipster but Athletic
SnakySalmon wrote:SFrost wrote:To be frank, the OP doesn't seem at all ready for law school let alone a professional environment.
This is fucking stupid. Law school requires no pre-requisite maturity, and is sufficient to prepare you for the emotional demands of the professional world.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:35 am
by wealtheow
i remember "extra credit" in fourth grade... college, not so much. i guess you lucked out that previous professors cut you some slack (probably on account of your brilliance). your current prof sounds more conventional in his reluctance to allow this - it's actually pretty inherently unfair if he doesn't offer the same opportunity to everyone else in the class. keeping in mind that he will have to take the time now to devise and grade additional assignments outside of the planned syllabus during an extremely busy time of the academic year. i would personally not go to the dean about this - may draw attention to the fact that exceptions have been made in the past for you.
i'd say there is almost no chance he will revise his letter, although his opinion of you has probably been affected - nothing you can do about that except haul ass for the remainder of the semester.
which begs the question - how in the world are you thinking, if you have a b now, that you will be given a failing grade? are you planning on blowing off the rest of the work?
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:08 am
by gottago
edit
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:10 am
by A. Nony Mouse
He doesn't grade based on his opinion of you, he grades based on the work you submit. If your work isn't as good as it was previously, you will earn a lower grade.
And HYS isn't going to care.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:36 am
by SFrost
Hipster but Athletic wrote:SnakySalmon wrote:SFrost wrote:To be frank, the OP doesn't seem at all ready for law school let alone a professional environment.
This is fucking stupid. Law school requires no pre-requisite maturity, and is sufficient to prepare you for the emotional demands of the professional world.
Law school itself might not, but if the OP doesn't know how to interact with people then law school isn't going to prepare him for that. I think there's something to be said for work experience before law school.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:41 pm
by Mack.Hambleton
I imagine OP asking professors at HLS for extra credit after finals
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:46 pm
by francesfarmer
You're not entitled to extra credit and I wouldn't go to the dean for it. You messed up your last semester and probably won't get PBK because of it. Don't freak out. Your HLS/YLS law degree will be shiny enough to make up for the lack of PBK.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:51 pm
by ph14
francesfarmer wrote:You're not entitled to extra credit and I wouldn't go to the dean for it. You messed up your last semester and probably won't get PBK because of it. Don't freak out. Your HLS/YLS law degree will be shiny enough to make up for the lack of PBK.
This is something that OP really needs to judge for him/herself. For all we know this might be common at the school. I'm not certain OP isn't just trolling though, given his posting history.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:54 pm
by francesfarmer
ph14 wrote:francesfarmer wrote:You're not entitled to extra credit and I wouldn't go to the dean for it. You messed up your last semester and probably won't get PBK because of it. Don't freak out. Your HLS/YLS law degree will be shiny enough to make up for the lack of PBK.
This is something that OP really needs to judge for him/herself. For all we know this might be common at the school. I'm not certain OP isn't just trolling though, given his posting history.
For the record I don't think going to the dean would mess anything up with the LOR writer. I just don't think OP is entitled to extra credit (no one is, unless the prof offers it) and therefore shouldn't exhibit such egregious special snowflakery
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:58 pm
by ph14
francesfarmer wrote:ph14 wrote:francesfarmer wrote:You're not entitled to extra credit and I wouldn't go to the dean for it. You messed up your last semester and probably won't get PBK because of it. Don't freak out. Your HLS/YLS law degree will be shiny enough to make up for the lack of PBK.
This is something that OP really needs to judge for him/herself. For all we know this might be common at the school. I'm not certain OP isn't just trolling though, given his posting history.
For the record I don't think going to the dean would mess anything up with the LOR writer. I just don't think OP is entitled to extra credit (no one is, unless the prof offers it) and therefore shouldn't exhibit such egregious special snowflakery
Gotta represent yourself zealously. At least explore the option, imo.
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:13 pm
by iamgeorgebush
no
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:28 pm
by jayman12
k
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:04 am
by furrrman
Does your school list professors for each class on the transcript? How would HYS know whose class you got the B in?
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:09 am
by ManoftheHour
Isn't it a little late to join a frat?
Re: How to fix this situation with my LOR writer?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:48 am
by Balthy
furrrman wrote:Does your school list professors for each class on the transcript? How would HYS know whose class you got the B in?
Mind does, but I seriously doubt anyone would notice or care about that.