Choosing who to write an LOR

[Think_Positive]

So I'm trying to line up letters of recommendation for next year.

Basically, my undergrad and much of my recent employment history is in a fairly different (albeit not completely unrelated) field than my current MPH and future PhD. In prior applications I've relied on an old employer who is VERY unreliable when it comes to sending in his LORs, had me write the letter for him anyway, and by the time they are reviewing the Fall 2011 applications, will have not been part of my life for almost four years. However, it is a good letter of recommendation (I know since I wrote it), and he is the president and founder of the company that I used to work, and I worked with him for almost 2 years.

So my question is.... should I drop this letter and just take one of my professors who might not know me quite as well but are more current and relevant to my interests? Or should I keep hassling this guy for another round of LORs, not only for the strength of letter, and who he is, but also because it relates me current endeavors to my employment history to some extent?

[Postbib Yeshuist]

"Current" letters are always better in my opinion. A letter from someone from four years ago could raise the question of "why can't they find three people that know them now?" Here's what I'd do: get your three LoR's from current profs and have your past employer write a personal letter as well. A fourth letter won't hurt at all and it will show that you have been reliable for many years now. Think of it as a character reference more so than an academic reference. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about the deadline if it goes unsent.

Edited March 24, 2010 by Postbib Yeshuist

[Think_Positive]

"Current" letters are always better in my opinion. A letter from someone from four years ago could raise the question of "why can't they find three people that know them now?" Here's what I'd do: get your three LoR's from current profs and have your past employer write a personal letter as well. A fourth letter won't hurt at all and it will show that you have been reliable for many years now. Think of it as a character reference more so than an academic reference. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about the deadline if it goes unsent.

Really? LOL I always thought it would hurt to include more than the request numbers of LORs. They don't frown upon that kinda thing?

[Jae B.]

I would definitely get letters from recent professors. If you're worried they don't know you well enough, sit down and have a nice chat with them. Maybe bring some of your work for them to look over, and remind them of your success in their classes. It all works out.

I'd worry about sending in more than the requested number of letters, as well. Who's to say they won't randomly read three and leave out one that might have been better?

[Jae B.]

It would be nice to get some variety in your letters, though, and not have them all be from professors.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Jae B.

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

I plan on doing both - I'm taking a graduate seminar online this summer, which should result in an LOR (especially if the prof teaches another grad seminar in the fall) as well as a brand new writing sample.

However, I'll still need my 2 LOR writers from my undergrad - which I graduated from 9 years ago, nearly. Luckily, they remember me, and were very happy to write LORs this year. I've already emailed them with a heads-up that this year didn't work out, but that I'm doing it again next round. I'm hoping the combination of current scholarship LOR and the fact that I was such an excellent student that I'm remembered 9 years down the line should say SOMETHING about my abilities. Since my program is an English PhD, having an LOR from anyone who wasn't one of my professors is pretty much impossible. The adcomm won't give a rat's behind that I'm the best technical writer in the universe of Israeli Hi-Tech

[Think_Positive]

Thanks for all the suggestions

Yeah, given what a hassle it has always been to get him to submit the letters, and my mild embarrasment at how many letters I've asked him for over the last few years (I did a semester of undergrad to bolster relevant academic experience, a round of Masters program applications, a round of PhD applications... and now looking at a second round) .... I think I'll drop him off the 2011 application and go with more recent professors. With any luck, I'll get a research opportunity for the summer so that I'll have two recent professors, and one more professional reference.

[ecritdansleau]

Really? LOL I always thought it would hurt to include more than the request numbers of LORs. They don't frown upon that kinda thing?

If a department explicitly states "No more than three" or something, you might follow it for them, but if you have different skills that can only be shown through recommendations from wider variety of recommenders, then go for it. (Say, for instance, you're very interdisciplinary and would like an fourth recommendation from a professor in your second major). If all the letter writers will be saying the same thing in four letters, then it might not be so worthwhile.

[joro]

I say you drop the unreliable one and find someone else to write it. I had an unreliable LOR and was screwed over my first year because he didn't submit the LOR. He apologized and said he'd write one for my second year, but in the end he was still just as unreliable and I was lucky to find another person to write me a LOR. I got into a good school, but was denied by my dream school because of a weak portfolio. I don't mind as much, but at least I was rejected because of my own doing and not because of a LOR.