Too Many Letters of Recommendation? Forum

[Lextor]

Hello everyone, I am fairly new to this site so hello and thanks for taking the time to offer some advice. I have three letters of recommendation, but a few schools I am applying to will accept only 2. I waived the right to view the letters, so I have no way of judging which would be best to exclude. It is stressing me out like crazy!

I majored in political science. The first letter is from a political science professor who chaired the department while I was there and who advised me with my honors thesis. I am most confident about his recommendation, as in addition to working one on one with him for a year on my project, I had him in prior classes as well. He also offered to write me a letter before I even mentioned applying to law school, and was once on an admissions committee for a law school. We developed a really great relationship throughout my time in college, and my thesis relates to my personal statement so I feel it would be crazy to leave him out.

The second letter is from another political science professor who I had for Constitutional law for a year. He has his JD and is also a law professor (in addition to teaching undergrad). He reviewed my personal statement and gave very high compliments to it. I feel like his letter would be beneficial because of his law background and the fact he was the professor of the only law classes I took while in college.

The final letter is from a computer science professor. I minored in computer science, and this professor got to know me in multiple classes. Most significantly, he invited me to join the computer science majors in the group senior thesis (of which he advises), and let me know I was the first student from the college of liberal arts to participate in the computer science thesis. My computer science program GPA was above 3.9 and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenges it brought. Other than on my resume, I don't speak to my computer science background at all, which worries me because I feel that background differentiates me from the other countless political science majors applying.

So I'm in a jam I really didn't think I would be in (if you could even call it that). UCLA is the school with the two letter limit causing me most of this grief as it is near the top of my list, for whatever that may be worth. Thanks again for any advice, I really appreciate it!

[mist4bison]

I'd go with the thesis advisor and CS prof. You did unique projects with both that they'll likely discuss those projects, making the letter stand out over the law profs letter.

Eta: good to know about UCLA. I was planning on submitting three as well. Glad I'm prepared to cut that down.

[Scalvert]

I agree. Since you didn't address CS, that would be a good way of adding that information. I know what you mean; I have the same problem (almost exactly the same details -minus the CS- in fact!)

[Lextor]

Okay, thanks guys. I was leaning towards CS, and that was the push I needed to calm my overactive nerves. Good luck to both of you too!