Not having LOR from my professors

[blur]

Hi

 I have a problem. I appied for fall 2013 and I have to apply again. Getting recom from my professors is so difficult for me. They aren't cooperative at all! Now what is your idea if I get recoms from a PhD student who I worked on a reaserch with (we had to leave the reasearch incomplete!) and also an employee in our lab who was my research partner in another project and we wrote a paper together?? Does it negatively affect on the admission commitee?

 

Thank you

[aberrant]

I personally think that having a recommendation letter from a non-PhD degree holder to evaluate you as a PhD applicant is detrimental to your application. I would expect that if you are currently working in a lab, your PI would write you a LOR if you two are in good terms. I'm not sure what makes it difficult for you, nor what do you mean by "they aren't cooperative", however.

[Eigen]

I agree that these recommendations would be detrimental. 

 

I even know post-docs who will recuse themselves from writing LoRs except in cases where no faculty member can or will, as they know a LoR from a non-faculty member holds much, much less weight. 

[blur]

I personally think that having a recommendation letter from a non-PhD degree holder to evaluate you as a PhD applicant is detrimental to your application. I would expect that if you are currently working in a lab, your PI would write you a LOR if you two are in good terms. I'm not sure what makes it difficult for you, nor what do you mean by "they aren't cooperative", however.

They are busy always!!!! when giving fourth recom, one of them told me you except a lot from me and I haven't much time ((

[Eigen]

Your answer leads me to wonder how much lead time you're giving them, and if you're asking for all your schools at once, or going one at a time for each different school as you apply. 

 

Ideally, and especially if you're applying to a number of schools, you'd want to go to them 3-4 months before the letters need to be in, and have a list of all the schools you want them to write for, along with when the letters need to be in. 

[emmm]

If you made a good impression on your professors, they should be happy to write letters of recommendation for you. If they seem less than enthusiastic, I would question whether you want letters from them at all. Your recommendation letters may be the most important part of your application. You need to have people who are really on your side writing for you. Ideally, these would also be people known to members of the admissions committees at the schools you are applying to. Have you discussed your grad school plans with these professors and actually asked them if they'd be willing to write you STRONG letters. They may be trying to send you a message that they think you'd be better off asking someone else.

 

It is possible that they are flakes, but most professors I have met do take this part of their job pretty seriously. Being "busy" shouldn't keep them from writing letters. All professors I know are busy.

Edited June 4, 2013 by emmm

[blur]

I don't know...Maybe time was slightly tight...But I don't think I can get three recoms this time!

 

Thank you for your comments

[Eigen]

When are you applying and when do you have to have the recommendations in by? And when did you first ask?

[aberrant]

Call me crazy, but back then I informed 2 of my LORs (including my PI at undergrad) a year before I apply grad school (that was because I was out of country for that year). And then I informed my other 2 LORs (including my PI during my time outside of the U.S.) in Spring of the same year when I apply grad school. While I know them pretty well personally, I don't know well enough about the two non-PI LORs' schedule, which would be the reason why I setup a time to meet up with them to talk about my plan to go to grad school -- a list of schools, program(s) that I want to apply, how willing are they to write my letters, etc. (ps. I applied 25).

 

So things worked out well for me, I keep them in touch occasionally, and more regularly when application windows opened, mainly to send them friendly reminders.

[blur]

When are you applying and when do you have to have the recommendations in by? And when did you first ask?

I think I can't apply for the spring 2014 and I will head for fall 2014. I asked them last year I applied. Last year I asked nearly 2 monthes before my deadlines.

 

And nothing went unfriendly between us but maybe they don't get used to give online recom. All in all it is difficult for them. and I guess they don't want to give more recoms.

[dat_nerd]

I personally think that having a recommendation letter from a non-PhD degree holder to evaluate you as a PhD applicant is detrimental to your application. 

I think it depends on how you ask the recommender. I had two recommendations from professors, and one from my (non-research) internship supervisor who did not hold a PhD. I asked the two professors to write about my research ability, and asked my internship supervisor to write about my work ethic. It worked out really well.

 

That being said, I think you should try to have professors, advisors, or PhD-holders as your recommenders. However, if you're in a situation like mine, where a non-academic recommender knows you better than a professor, it's not a bad idea to ask for a non-academic letter. The rule I heard about, and followed, is that at least two LORs should be from professors.

Edited June 6, 2013 by dat_nerd