1. It's waaay more important what your letter says than from whom it's addressed.
2. If you're wondering whether or not to ask someone for a recommendation, don't. Only ask people you KNOW will write glorious things about you.
3. Submit the recommended number of letters to the schools to which you apply - many require fewer than they recommend, but will accept even more than they recommend. Submit the number of letters the school recommends.
Hit me with questions.
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Hey Dave!
I was wondering if it affects the validity of the letter if I have seen and read the letter that I am submitting. I guess my question to follow up with that is, for future letters of recommendation, would I want to have some sort of letter that my recommendor signs saying that it I have waived the option of viewing the letter to preserve the authenticiy of it?
Hey, Ron!
1. I wouldn't worry about it too much - it happens pretty often.
2. I do think that's probably a good future move. A nice touch.
Let me know how the process goes this summer, and if I can help!
most schools want two recommendations and I have one on file right now from a recent professor (last two semesters). However, I have no other professors that I can approach because none really know me and I doubt any of the ones this semester would write me good recs. I was wondering if it would be okay to get past employers to write recommendations or do you have to have at least two academic recs?
I don't believe there's any school that flatly requires both of your letters to be academic; certainly in most cases schools say things like "academic letters are most influential."
You'll definitely be better off with two strong letters, one of which is non-academic, than with one strong and one weak letter from professors.
Dave,
If I have now been out of school since 2013, meaning out of touch with my professors from undergrad, is it okay if all of my recommendations are from past/present employers and even a peer?
I don't believe there's any school that flatly requires your letters to be academic; certainly in most cases schools say things like "academic letters are most influential."
You'll definitely be better off with strong letters, even if they're non-academic, than with weak letters from professors.
All of your letters should come from people who are in a position to evaluate your work. If you have a specific question regarding the source of your letters, I recommend that you contact the school to get a definitive answer.
Hi Dave,
My head is still diffusing from the tension of today's LSAT. Anyway, I wanted to know ask you -- the way that my LOR was requested was for me not to see what was written in there by my employers. So they are in my LSAC file, but I could not see the contents.
Somewhere in the LSAC website it was mentioned that this option has an advantage in point of view of Admission Councils. In your opinion, does it?
Yes, I think it does. If you are not allowed to see the file, there's a smaller chance that you were able to influence the contents of the letter. So, since law schools want the clearest picture of what kind of student you're likely to be, they'll appreciate feeling as though the feedback they're getting is the most-accurate reflection of the recommenders' true assessments of you.
Make sense?
Hi Dave!
One of my recommenders is willing to "write" me a recommendation - but she wants me to write it and she will "tweak" it. I have no idea where to start! Should I avoid this recommender altogether? Should I write it for her? Help!
Yeah, that's weird and lazy of her. If she's a valuable reference, then write the absolute strongest version of what you think a reasonable person should see as your best qualities, along with specific details that this reasonable person would have noticed that would lead her to feel that way about you.
If you can't bring yourself to do that, I get it. Just find someone who knows and admires you and will write great things about you.
Make sense?
Yes! Thanks Dave!
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