LOR:TA versus Professor

[f_man]

i'll be applying to MPP programs this fall and out of the 3 letters of recommendation, at least 1 should come from an academic background.

my dilemma is the fact that i never really kept in much contact with professors of classes where i earned As in. there are a few professors that might remember my face of classes i earned Bs in. and then theres one TA who i had 3 classes with, who knows me really well and can actually vouch for my work, which includes overseeing an undergrad thesis. after being 3 years out of undergrad, hes actually earned his PhD and is now an assistant professor. the potential caveat is he is a professor at a less reputable institution.

which do adcomms prefer in general: a generic LoR from a well known professor, or a well written LoR from my TA?

[kahlan_amnell]

Usually when you want to get a letter from a TA you ask if they could get the professor they TAed for to sign the letter as well, which seems to give the letter more weight. If the TA has since become a professor himself this might not be necessary. I don't think it really matters how good a school he is a professor at, though a letter from a big name prof at a famous department would of course help your application.

[socialpsych]

This is an old post, but for the record: definitely prof. Some people even advised me not to get a letter from non-tenure-track faculty.

Edited November 30, 2009 by socialpsych