Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

say many years ago as an undergrad you took a class like Math 55 at Harvard or the equivalent at MIT/etc. ie. something with a really strong reputation.

for those not familiar:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/12/6/burden-of-proof-at-1002-am/

now, the well-known prof has agreed to write a rec, but as it states in the article, you were among the 10 who didn't understand the course. so he says the rec would not be that strong. a strong rec from this prof would probably guarantee admission ... my dilemma is whether a weak rec is worth anything.

this is for an MS in Stats program, and my other options for recommendations are very limited. any thoughts?

Posted

Always go for the strongest letter possible from a professor that knows you and your work well. A weak letter is often the kiss of death for an application, famous rec or not!

Posted (edited)

Yep, 100% agree with Safferz. In general, I think prospective students *way* overestimate the importance of having someone "famous" write them a letter. Sure, it's nicer to have a great letter from a well-known prof than an unknown one, but if there will be a significant difference in the enthusiasm of the letter, you should go with the stronger letter regardless of the reputation of the letter writer.

Edited by cyberwulf
Posted

I'd think a crummy recommendation from a well-known prof would hurt even more than one from an unknown prof. WHY would you ever want this kind of recommendation?

Posted

well unfortunately i have no options to get a strong rec from a professor who knows me well. i've been out of school some time and did not maintain contact, nor did i have great relationships with professors in school.

given this info and assuming this is my only option to get a rec from a professor, does this change anything? my other options will be former colleagues who will definitely write enthusiastically, but they are non academics

Posted

It is worrisome if your only academic reference is lukewarm at best. And by colleagues, I hope you mean supervisors.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use