Recommenders - better that they know you well than that they have a better position?

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

Would love to hear some thoughts from others regarding securing the most suitable recommendations. I have four recommenders on tap, and some schools I'm applying to will allow four letters, while others only want three or even two. Of my four recommenders, one is my senior thesis advisor who just retired from a relatively distinguished career as an English prof and who directed my school's literature program for many years. My second recommender has been in the academy for 30-plus years, is a full professor and director of graduate studies, a noted translator of Eastern European poetry and former poet laureate of my home state, and has taught me at the graduate level as an undergrad. They'll both write me stellar letters that I hope will carry a fair amount of weight.

What I'm less certain about is the best course to take for deciding which of my two remaining recommenders to ask to write for the schools that only accept three letters. Both are early-career academics in the UK (where I studied abroad for a year at Oxford.) One is in his third year as an associate professor at Oxford (but in Modern Languages, not English - he taught me Comp Lit.) I worked with him on an individual course we co-designed around some of my interests, so he knows me and my work quite well. However, despite agreeing to serve as a recommender, he's been rather tepid in his response to my emails, etc. (I know he's very busy) and for the two letters he's already submitted for me for programs with earlier deadlines, he waited until the last possible minute to turn them in, which makes me think they may have been written in haste. My other option also taught me at Oxford, where he was at the time a visiting lecturer (he does have a PhD.) He now holds a lecturer position (basically the UK equivalent of being an assistant prof) at another UK institution (not Oxbridge, but with a very respectable English dept.) He also worked with me on a (smaller) self-designed project, and his own research interests are somewhat similar to mine, so he's likewise familiar with my work and my interests. He's been very warm and helpful in my communications with him about serving as a recommender, and I suspect his letter might be more thoughtful than the Oxford prof's. All that long story being told, I'd like to know what others think: does the Oxford prof's more noteworthy academic position mean his letter would carry more weight than that of the lecturer? I should add that I'm confident the Oxford prof won't say anything bad about me - he gave me a first-class mark (Oxford equivalent of an A) and wrote favorably about my academic performance in my end-of-term report. Then again, the lecturer did the same. All this to say, I'm very torn about this and would value any advice!

[NowMoreSerious]

I think if you have two letters from professors who have a lot of cache already, your best bet is choosing the professor who will write you the more personal letter and/or the letter that will speak most specifically about yo and your work. 

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

Thanks for this - I think you are right and have gone for the lecturer (who has already promptly and kindly replied to my request.)