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Advice on selecting another recommender


exegete

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I'm applying to New Testament PhD programs, and at this point I have three professors lined up to write LORs. It's my understanding that many schools allow a fourth as well, and I'd like to choose someone who can speak to my ability to work with the Hebrew Bible. There are two possibilities, and I'm really not sure which would make for a stronger recommendation. Hopefully y'all can help me decide on this.

Professor A: Very highly respected Hebrew Bible scholar at a major university. I'm taking a master's-level course with this professor this semester; no previous interaction. I will be submitting a 10-page exegesis paper next week.

Professor B: Not very well known; teaches at a smaller school. I took a year of Hebrew plus an exegesis course with this individual a couple of years ago in undergrad, which included two major exegesis papers (15-25 pages each). I am confident this professor would write a glowing recommendation.

Any thoughts on which professor I should approach first?

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That's super tough. While I would like to think Professor B would be a much better recommender, my own anecdotal experience with that sort of thing has been that Professor A would be better. I'm sure it's been different for others, though. I would try to meet with Professor A a few times before they write the letter and maybe give them another paper to read (it depends on the professor as to whether or not they'll read it). 

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In my own experience, a recommendation from Professor A would go a long way. I’ve had interviews where they asked me about classes I’ve taken with my Professor A recommender, showing that for most programs name recognition gets your application to stand out above the others.

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The reputation of professor A will go along way. However, one thing to find out is if professor B has any connections to anyone on the admissions committee for whatever school you are applying to. Connections can be more helpful than scholarly clout. 

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