About whom to ask for LOR

[hmss9245]

Hi guys, anyone here who knows if it is more important to ask for professors who supervised you for a thesis on narrative theory, or a professor who is specialized in comparative literature but never supervised you doing any research (though you have taken the courses by that prof.) if I am to ask for the last of the three LOR for my application to a comparative literature PhD program with intended specialization in narrative theory?

 

Thanks!!

[hmss9245]

Just now, hmss9245 said:

Hi guys, anyone here who knows if it is more important to ask for professors who supervised you for a thesis on narrative theory, or a professor who is specialized in comparative literature but never supervised you doing any research (though you have taken the courses by that prof.) if I am to ask for the last of the three LOR for my application to a comparative literature PhD program with intended specialization in narrative theory?

 

Thanks!!

PS. the professor who supervised me for the thesis on narrative theory is a prof. in English and American literature in general...

[rising_star]

Part of this is going to depend on who your other recommenders are and what skills of yours they can address in their letters. Are the other two letters from people who are familiar with your thesis and your research skills? Or are they profs who had you for class?

[hmss9245]

On 9/14/2016 at 9:39 PM, rising_star said:

Part of this is going to depend on who your other recommenders are and what skills of yours they can address in their letters. Are the other two letters from people who are familiar with your thesis and your research skills? Or are they profs who had you for class?

Hi! The other two are both my current professors, and they are professors of Scandinavian literature. One of them is in direct contact with me about my current MA thesis, but is not my supervisor, and the other only a professor who taught me two classes. So I guess asking the former professor who was my BA thesis supervisor is better? I don't know which skills they can address... but the other comparative literature professor was asking me to draft the letter for him lol... 

Edited September 16, 2016 by hmss9245

[rising_star]

There's nothing inherently wrong or bad about being asked to draft the letter. It gives you a chance to point out your attributes so that the letter can highlight them. If you're not comfortable doing that, then that's a different thing.

Why not ask them if they can write you a strong letter and what skills/abilities of yours they feel they can highlight in the letter? That way you can make a more informed choice. Someone who taught you in two classes may not be able to say much more than "did well in class," which is worth knowing before that letter ends up in your application file.