Letter of Reference: Dilemna - Help Please

[snowballed]

Hi,

Last winter I applied to MPA and MA programmes here in Canada. I messed up on calculating my average and failed to reach the minimum threshold by 0.07% (doh!). Both programs emphasized professional experience over marks, so I feel if my app made it to the selection committee I would have been gold. Since then, I took a Political Science course in the summer and achieved an "A", which brings my average up over the minimum threshold. They keep all my stuff on file for one year, so all I need to do is re-submit payment and new abstracts and I can be considered again.

My plan was to re-apply to both of these programs in the next 3 months, however I see about 5 good international Msc programs in the UK that I am very keen to apply for and to take. That means NEW applications and I have to harass my employers again.

I graduated 4 years ago and have lost all of my academic contacts, so used my previous and current employer to write a letter of recommendation for me.

The questions

1. Both employers sent me the text in an email, after sending their signed/sealed/delivered/official copies to the Canadian university. Would UK uni's be open to me sending these emails as part of my application on a conditional basis? I don't want to have to harass my employers to send 4-7 copies of the same letter to a whole swack of universities (especially with my current employer, as they would in essence be helping me quit my job). Then if I get accepted, I could just get my employers to call or to send in a signed copy?

2. The one class I took in summer and worked my butt off to get an 'A', my first class in 4 years - would you use it as part of a reference? I don't know the prof other than this class, but I was very vocal and hard working and she told me I did really well in the class. I feel it could be a pretty weak letter since the prof only knows me for one class. By the way, on the last day of class - the prof. said that she would be available to write letters of recommendation, so I feel good about asking ;-). Would you take this LOR? Or should I go the dual-employer route?

Thanks so much!

Keane

[tyedye]

im in a similar boat, however I have not taken time off of school but I don't know any of my profs very well and I don't know how good their lors would be