wait wait wait

[Waits]

It seems those with the strongest applications like to come on here and post up their stats to get some kind of extrinsic confirmation to what they already know inside...

Hmm ... yeah I can definitely see how it reads like that - apologies, not at all the case. I think firstly, coming from outside the US, I've a permanent fear of my qualifications not being recognised as equivalent - university prestige isn't really a factor in choosing your undergrad, so I don't have that, and final degree grade is just based on your last year of work, so transcripts from earlier years are, for most people mostly B's and C's

But point taken!

[socihealth]

I do wonder what my LORs look like sometimes. But i try not to think about it too much since they are already submitted.

[socihealth]

How much weight is given to LORs?

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

How much weight is given to LORs?

I think this depends. One of my POI's told me it helps to have at least one letter written by someone that the graduate departments would recognize (someone well known in the field or someone known by that departments faculty).

I've also heard that, as long as they aren't bad, they're ancillary to the rest of the application.

[socieconomist]

I agree with ThisSlum - on the well known point - i'm told that those lor's get much more weight, particularly if there are personal relationships w/people in the department where one is applying. if an lor author si both unknown (in the field) and has no particular relationship... that's less effective. makes sense, yes?

[socieconomist]

when did Princeton start contacting folks last year?

[socihealth]

I dont know that my letter writters are well known but we have positive working relationships. I hope to go to grad school and become well known (to advance the field and to pursue my passion but also) to write strong letters for my future students when they go through this process haha