Who’s writing your rec letters?

[jeanxxlqz]

Hey philosophers. So I don’t have anybody else that I know applying this year and I’m just really wanting to talk about this. I’m trying to make final decisions for rec letters. Here are my options: 

(a) TT prof who I’ve worked with closely for 5 years, would write incredibly strong letter, AOS is my main AOI, recently got PhD, on thesis committee, done 1 grad and 3 UG courses w them

(b) senior faculty, very reputable in my AOI, taken 1 undergrad course and 2 grad courses with this prof, thesis advisor

(c) dept chair, not at all my AOI, have worked closely with for 3 years, taken one UG and one grad class with this prof, quite reputable in their AOS

(d) TT prof who publishes in a sub field quite close to my main AOI, taken 4 UG courses w them

(e) senior faculty, famous in their AOS which has little overlap with mine, taken 1 grad course with them

(f) full prof, non-philosophy but in adjacent field relevant to a secondary AOI for me, taken 1 grad course with them, they are on my thesis committee, done other independent work with them

In my view, a, b, and c are the obvious choices. It is those apps which allow for additional letters that give me pause. 

Anyone dealing with similar tough decisions? Any thoughts on this? 

[Duns Eith]

You have some good options.

IMO: Order of preference:

1. B
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. F
6. E

So, I guess go with D for your 4th.

[edit]

Wait, how famous is E? Like, the odds of an adcomm recognizing the name is pretty high? Or to those in the specialty?

Edited October 16, 2018 by Duns Eith

[jeanxxlqz]

18 hours ago, Duns Eith said:

You have some good options.

IMO: Order of preference:

1. B
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. F
6. E

So, I guess go with D for your 4th.

[edit]

Wait, how famous is E? Like, the odds of an adcomm recognizing the name is pretty high? Or to those in the specialty?

It's kind of hard to say. Judging from conversations with faculty and grad students in my department, and by the frequency with which I see E cited in articles I read, there are pretty high odds that name recognition will happen if someone in the specialty is reading the letter. But I don't have a clue beyond that, and I do know it would be the least personal letter of them all... so I don't know that the relative fame would make up for that. Cursory internet searches suggest it wouldn't, but it being a fourth letter might make that less of an issue.