Recommendation Letter Confusion... Help please!

[sasukeuchiha33]

Hello, everyone!

So, everywhere I read everyone seems to have the same general advice regarding recommendation letters, namely, the "basis" being 2 recommendation letters from a science professor who gave you a grade, and 1 from a non-science professor who gave you a grade. I know people include more, but this seems to the backbone.

That being said, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I have 2 science professors that I would love to ask, but one of them is my biology research mentor/advisor. I've been doing research with her, and have been awarded an "A" on my transcript for independent study for a few semesters now. Even though all I do is show up, do my thing, and leave, my mentor and I have a very close relationship, and I want to ask her for a letter of recommendation.

All things considered, I'm a bit frightened that the A in the independent study doesn't constitute her giving me a "grade," as I never had her in class for any formal biology class. Would medical schools that say they want 2 letters from a science professor who gave you a grade look down on this? Please let me know. Thanks

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[bubba21]

I was in a similar situation and decided to use my research supervisor (who also gave me an independent study grade) as one of my two science professors. It worked out for me, and I got accepted where I wanted to go. Not sure if I just got lucky or if adcoms don't care!

 

[nywst]

This would depend on the school. Many schools have different requirements in regards to LORs. Some require 3 letters, some two, some specify where the letters must come from, some dont, etc.

The most general advice that is given to premed students is to have three letters, two from science faculty and one from a non science faculty all of whom should have given you a grade AND can speak to how you perform in a classroom setting (that is, taught you in a class).

Again this is just the general advice, specifics will differ between schools. I have seen some schools say that the letters can come from anyone and have also seen some schools say that the letters must come from a faculty who has taught you in a class.