A new take on LORs?

[linden]

A few days ago, I had to call one of the programs to which I am applying with a question about one of my letters of recommendation. During the course of our conversation, the admissions representative indicated that the letter of recommendation would not make a big difference in the admissions process. (The person I spoke to was part of the program

[Astaroth]

My guess is that admissions teams will look at letters but will not pay as much attention to them in the first stages of selection. They would only be looked at carefully and factored in, for example, when an applicant is close to being accepted/invited for interviews, or has been placed on a waiting list. Also, they would probably only pay attention to letters that seem like they were written in earnest and where any praise is supported by evidence or at least a sound argument. A letter of recommendation that is 100% positive will probably be ignored, but one that is 80%-90% positive has a much better chance. You know, "nobody's perfect" and all.

[limeinthecoconut]

I guess none of us have a definitive answer, but these are a few general things that I heard/observed...

1) I was told that not having a letter from my supervisor would be damaging, as it would beg the question, "Why did he/she not want to write a letter for the supervisee?" given that one's supervisor should in theory know one's work best.

2) From the pattern I have observed so far, apparently, letter writers who are alumni seem to have recommendation letters which carry more weight.

3) I have also heard of a horror story of how a clueless graduate student wannabe, who repeatedly asked one letter writer. Consequently, he/she was never offered admission in any school. Apparently, it is because the LOR writer wrote some nasty stuff.

[Minnesotan]

it would beg the question, "Why did he/she not want to write a letter for the supervisee?"

Pedantic Man says: 'begging the question' is a logical fallacy (Lat. petitio principii), meaning that you are assuming the proposition which you are trying to prove.

It drives Pedantic Man nuts when people misuse the term.

Carry on.

[misterpat]

Minnesotan, did you just make that Pedantic Man thing up right here, or do you do that all the time? Seems like a great way to soften the blow of being an asshole and correcting someone.

2) From the pattern I have observed so far, apparently, letter writers who are alumni seem to have recommendation letters which carry more weight.

3) I have also heard of a horror story of how a clueless graduate student wannabe, who repeatedly asked one letter writer. Consequently, he/she was never offered admission in any school. Apparently, it is because the LOR writer wrote some nasty stuff.

I have also heard that 2 is true. As for number 3, one Professor told me that a classic negative LOR is "He was in class."

Not to disagree about the first LOR point, but I had a Professor from a top History program write me this in an e-mail earlier this fall:

"I would be happy to work with you. I am a big fan of Professor [deleted]'s work. A strong letter from him would go a long way towards addressing any issues that might arise over your GPA"

[limeinthecoconut]

I suppose it might also depend on the field we are in. Generally, LORs matter in the humanities?

[Minnesotan]

Very much so. Humanistic disciplines are all about the flow of ideas, not the numbers. SoPs, LoRs, WSs are what matter. GRE and GPA might get you past an initial cutoff, but they won't get you in a program on their own merit.

As for my Pedantic Man persona, I've been toying with a new superhero name, and this is what I've settled on for now. I'll test it out on my students after xmas.

[Tinyboss]

Due to a mix-up which I'm trying to remain calm about (since everything turned out okay), two of my recommenders had not acutally sent the letters as of this morning. I contacted the three programs I'm applying to which have a Jan. 15th deadline, and here's what I was told:

Safety school: We admitted you yesterday based on your app and the one rec letter we've received. Get us another letter whenever.

Middle-of-the-road school: Do get them in, but there's no real hurry.

First choice school: It's crucial that you get them to us by the deadline.