LOR from a Lecturer?

[tee-tee]

I graduated with a Film and Media BA and will be applying to Cinema Studies MA programs at SFSU and Columbia University (mostly because at the moment I cannot afford to take the GRE & these programs do not require it). I plan on taking the GRE in the winter/spring after applications are due and when I have funds available so I can use my scores for future PhD applications. My plan is to complete my MA and then apply to PhD programs at other schools.

I was wondering if I should ask a Lecturer teaching at my alma mater for a letter of recommendation. I took most of my courses with her (and received excellent grades) and she is currently a PhD candidate from a top film school. I am not currently planning on applying to her alma mater because it requires a GRE score (but I will apply in the future). Should I even bother asking for a LOR from her? Will the programs I apply to weigh a LOR from her the same as from a full-fledged professor? I have three other professors I could probably get a LOR from because I spoke with several about pursuing a Cinema Studies PhD in the future and most were receptive to the idea.

I was slightly discouraged by a professor who made it seem as though I should have at least a 3.6 gpa when applying to PhD programs in Cinema Studies (granted, the prof. who was most vocal about this wanted me to apply to Yale) which is what is mostly prompting me to apply to MA programs first. My overall gpa from my university is a 3.4 but my FMS gpa is a 3.6 (I graduated with two degrees). Will my gpa really limit the chance of direct acceptance from a Cinema Studies PhD program? Should I hold out to apply next Fall to more programs for a PhD/MA when I do have a GRE score?

[KieBelle]

I'm not sure I can help you with the LOR from a lecturer, but as far as everything else - I think you should do whatever is going to make you the happiest in the end and give you the greatest chance of success. If what you really want is a PhD, I would wait, personally. Your GPA isn't bad, but strong GRE scores may help strengthen your application. Also, taking a year off will also give you an opportunity to further build your application. Save up some money for the GRE and more application fees so you can apply to several schools. When you only apply to two schools you're really taking a risk- and do you REALLY want to go through this awful application process all over again if you don't get in to either one?

Just my 2 cents.

[thepoorstockinger]

If they're not even done graduate school then they're not a good option for a LOR.

[socialcomm]

I'd try to get someone else to write a LOR if you can. I think getting the MA is a good plan -- you can work on obtaining LOR from these profs for when you apply to PhD programs. I also agree you should try to apply to as many schools as possible. Good luck!

[jrpk]

if you're concerned about your undergrad gpa re getting into a Doctoral program, I'd agree about shooting for the Masters first. I'd not agree about choosing a program because you can't afford to take the GRE. I don't know how long you've been out of school, and I don't know what your goal is with these degrees, but I'd take that time to see if you could get some real world experience if you don't already have some. My assumption is, if you considering a recommendation from a lecturer at your former college than it's probably pretty limited. Because a professional recommendation in that area would carry weight too. You want to make sound decisions at this point in your life. If you did get into Columbia's Masters program purely as a means to an ends, do you really want to start racking up those types of debts when you currently can't even afford to take the GRE? -- I've worked in film and television for years, cinema studies graduate degrees don't get jobs in the industry (MFAs from USC and maybe NYU film programs yes--- but not the cinema studies degrees), so my assumption is you know this and your interests are academic. Real world experience can be quite helpful. Unless you're 100% certain about exactly what you want to do why rush like this to get into an expensive masters program you don't have a passion for?

[johndiligent]

There are two rules of thumb at play here:

One is that you should always go for the strongest letter possible. If the Chair of the Department or another faculty member with name recognition barely knew you and is not likely to write a letter that states anything more than "So-and-so was a student here and is apparently applying for grad school" then it is always better to get a letter from the lecturer who knew you well and can positively and persuasively speak to your likelihood for success in graduate school.

The second rule of thumb, however, is that you should never ask someone to be a referee if they have not completed the programme for which you are applying. That is, if you are applying for MA programmes, it's fine to ask a PhD candidate. But if you're applying for a PhD, you should not ask someone who doesn't have one yet. The basic logic is that those people can't rightly be authorities on your ability to succeed at that level if they themselves have yet to complete it.

You'll need to war these two ideas against each other.

[porfiry]

Hm, I'm in a similar situation. I did my BA in philosophy 5 years ago, and I just finished an MA in applied linguistics. I'm going back to school for philosophy and debating the pros and cons of getting LoRs from my BA and MA instructors.

On the one hand, my MA work is recent, which is important. But, the two people that I want to get letters from are "lecturers", not professors (both do have doctorates though). Plus, the school is a lot less prestigious than my undergrad institution.

Two of my BA professors have agreed to write for me, one in philosophy, one in history. While both are distinguished scholars in their fields, it has been five years, and I wonder how descriptive their letters will be.

I'm not sure whether to go with 1 BA + 2 MA, or 2 BA + 1 MA...

Any suggestions?

[johndiligent]

I feel like 2 MA + 1 BA is the way to go. I think that anything else will look like you weren't able to make solid relationships with your grad faculty or you're trying to hide something.

[porfiry]

Thanks, johndiligent. I'm leaning toward 2 MA + 1 BA too. But I'm also asking my programs if they'll accept an additional letter, so I can have the MA and BA in a happy balance!