It all makes sense now

[Nytusse]

I just got information strongly hinting that one of my LORs was a major problem with my application.

DAMN. I suspected this all along. Ugh, nothing I can do about it now.

[ChibaCityBlues]

I just got information strongly hinting that one of my LORs was a major problem with my application.

DAMN. I suspected this all along. Ugh, nothing I can do about it now.

Was it that the author of the letter is disliked by most everyone? Or that they wrote an unfavorable letter? I don't understand a person who would willingly write someone a letter and then not have it be a good one. I understand profs declining to write letters because they don't feel they could write a beneficial one, but there's a special place in hell for those who agree and then don't write something nice.

[Nytusse]

Was it that the author of the letter is disliked by most everyone? Or that they wrote an unfavorable letter? I don't understand a person who would willingly write someone a letter and then not have it be a good one. I understand profs declining to write letters because they don't feel they could write a beneficial one, but there's a special place in hell for those who agree and then don't write something nice.

I would guess it was death by lukewarm letter.

[VampireLincoln]

Dude, that is crazy terrible. I can't believe someone would do that! Did the school you applied to forward this information, or did you ask?

Edited March 9, 2010 by VampireLincoln

[StrangeLight]

listen, lukewarm letters suck, but it's not like the professor says, "yes, i'll write your letter" and then writes, "student X was one of the worst i've had." they write stuff like "adequate" and "capable" and "hard-working." it's really hard to find three professors that all say you're one of the best students they've had in 10 years.

i saw the checklists that came with a few schools' letters. this student is a) the best student you've had in 10 years, the best student you've had in 5 years, c) the best student you've had in two years, d) the best student you've had this year, e) one of the best students you've had this year, f) something about being strong and capable, g) something about being adequate, h) would not recommend this student for graduate studies, i) do not know this student well enough to say.

i mean, shit. when you've got to go down 5 pegs on the ladder just to get to "one of the best students this year," that's rough. lukewarm praise is stuff like, "this student would make an excellent graduate student. he is thoughtful and dedicated and would make a fine scholar." it's not as though a professor is sabotaging you with that sort of letter.

it sucks to find out a weak letter can keep you out of some schools. it really does, and i'm not minimizing that. but "lukewarm" doesn't mean the prof was doing some shady shit or sabotaging your potential. it just means you weren't, to that one professor, the greatest student they've had in years.

[TMP]

listen, lukewarm letters suck, but it's not like the professor says, "yes, i'll write your letter" and then writes, "student X was one of the worst i've had." they write stuff like "adequate" and "capable" and "hard-working." it's really hard to find three professors that all say you're one of the best students they've had in 10 years.

i saw the checklists that came with a few schools' letters. this student is a) the best student you've had in 10 years, the best student you've had in 5 years, c) the best student you've had in two years, d) the best student you've had this year, e) one of the best students you've had this year, f) something about being strong and capable, g) something about being adequate, h) would not recommend this student for graduate studies, i) do not know this student well enough to say.

i mean, shit. when you've got to go down 5 pegs on the ladder just to get to "one of the best students this year," that's rough. lukewarm praise is stuff like, "this student would make an excellent graduate student. he is thoughtful and dedicated and would make a fine scholar." it's not as though a professor is sabotaging you with that sort of letter.

it sucks to find out a weak letter can keep you out of some schools. it really does, and i'm not minimizing that. but "lukewarm" doesn't mean the prof was doing some shady shit or sabotaging your potential. it just means you weren't, to that one professor, the greatest student they've had in years.

Ditto. That's the disadvantage of getting letters from senior professors because you've got his/her whole history of students to compete with. That's why junior faculty members are better but at the same time, unless they know people personally, their names aren't quite out there yet as the senior professors'. 2 of my letters were from senior faculty members but I lucked out with their particular situations. One letter was from a junior faculty member but she had extensive connections and knew many of the professors I wanted to work with personally.

At least you can cross that guy off your list and pick someone else... if you've got a class with a historian this semester, start kissing his ass now

[Nytusse]

I feel like I screwed up on this choice, because I had three really glowing letters and I just thought I could boost my application just a bit more....

Can I say that this whole application season has been a soul-crushing experience? I feel like it was entirely the wrong year for a student like me to attempt this, because I had such a non-traditional path. I feel like schools are less willing to take a chance on people right now.

It hit me when I was looking at condos. I saw some places that were awesome but flawed; you could tell they had such great potential, but of course, I will not have the time or money to invest in them.

Then it hit me...I'm totally the unproven entity, I'm the ball of potential, and yeah....maybe I seem like a bad investment when things are tight?

[MarchHare]

I feel like I screwed up on this choice, because I had three really glowing letters and I just thought I could boost my application just a bit more....

Can I say that this whole application season has been a soul-crushing experience? I feel like it was entirely the wrong year for a student like me to attempt this, because I had such a non-traditional path. I feel like schools are less willing to take a chance on people right now.

It hit me when I was looking at condos. I saw some places that were awesome but flawed; you could tell they had such great potential, but of course, I will not have the time or money to invest in them.

Then it hit me...I'm totally the unproven entity, I'm the ball of potential, and yeah....maybe I seem like a bad investment when things are tight?

I absolutely feel the same way! It's not like my rejections really have a bearing on my self-worth--I know I could and will be an amazing asset to a department, but I also have the kind of unconventional background that might prevent departments from seeing my potential. So I can't beat myself up about it, and yet...now the guessing begins: was I not good enough in communicating my strengths in my application? Or are they simply close-minded and playing it safe? Which is it?