Play it safe with a letter from a lecturer w/ an MA or gamble on a more established professor?

[moderatedbliss]

Only two Letters of Rec are required for what I'm applying for, and the other one is from a professor in a related field.

The lecturer without a Ph.D. knows me very well, but is perhaps inexperienced in writing letters of rec. He has been teaching for a long time, though. I could gamble on an established professor, but she doesn't know me as well as the lecturer does. Which do I pick?

I should mention that I my research experience/grades are very solid.

I have some ideas/concerns, but I'll let you all speak your peace first.


ANY advice whatsoever is welcome!

[MsDarjeeling]

When you say the Master's level professor knows you best, in what capacity do you mean?  Were you just a student of hers?  Did you conduct research with her?  Was she just your adviser that helped you with your degree plan?  All of the above?  If it is all of the above I would say you might get a stronger letter from her because she can speak to your research skills.  Sure she may not know as much about writing lor's, but you can greatly assist her with the process by having a sit down meeting with her and going over any required forms the school has and whatever info they're asking for.  She can then reach out to other faculty for advice on how to do them.  I imagine this is what many professors do when they're just learning to write them.

[moderatedbliss]

Hey MsDarjeeling, thanks for the response. 

I haven't conducted research with the master's level prof, but he knows more about my research interests (we have many overlapping interests) and I think could attest to my capacity for research in that field.. I was a student of his, but I'm often in his office hours talking about books. He was my adviser for when I applied to the Fulbright, I think he could talk about my intellectual capabilities. He also knows me pretty well as a human being, so I think he could write a more "personal" (whatever that means) letter of recommendation. I'm always in his office, so helping him through the process wouldn't be a problem. 

The other professor is fairly high up in the department,but I haven't had her before this semester. Aside from my office visits and classroom participation, she probably isn't very familiar with the quality of my work/scholastic aptitude, etc..

The professor talking about my research abilities is from a different department, coincidentally.. 

[MsDarjeeling]

Hehehe totally messed up my gender pronouns in my earlier post, glad you made sense of it.  From the new information you've provided it does sound like the highly ranked professor won't be able to write you the best letter.  It sounds like the Master's level professor does know you better and has a better understanding of your goals and interests.  It might be a good idea to schedule a meeting with him and ask him if he'd consider writing you a letter.  You could state your case for asking him just as you stated it here.  If he agrees, you'll get a letter.  If he disagrees he may have some suggestions on who else you might ask.

[sarab]

Have you written substantial papers for the professor with the MA? What about for the one with a PhD?

I'm choosing a lecturer as one of my recommenders (although she does have a PhD), and that's because I've written substantial papers for her classes, so she's gotten to know me pretty well and would be able to write a more thorough letter of recommendation than an associate professor who is not that familiar with my work.

Take that into account when picking who you'll ask, but you can always talk to both to decide.

[moderatedbliss]

Hey sarab, yeah I have written quite a few for this prof. The associate prof didn't reject me but she didn't seem overly enthusiastic, perhaps that's a sign.