Getting LoR from PhD student Instructor?

kimchifaaan

At my university a lot of the 3000 level courses are taught by PhD students and those classes happen to be the smallest and where I’ve been able to interact with the instructor the most. But I’m worried that because they are still in the process of completing a degree their letter of rec might be seen as a weakness in my application even it’s a positive recommendation. If anyone has any insight on this that would be really great!

Forever Addicted to Coffee

Hey leahilee08, I think that depends on several factors.

How involved was the PhD student in the curriculum? Were they in full charge of the course or were they more like teaching assistants? The latter is when they lead discussion classes after the lecture with the professor. That's what I have been doing in my Ph.D. and I was never asked to write a letter of recommendation for a student. The same goes for my fellow Ph.D. colleagues in the program. If the PhD student was mainly responsible for leading the discussion, then I wouldn't encourage you to get a letter of recommendation from them.

If, however, they were the only instructors of the course without a professor, then it's probably okay. For example, I took two English courses in college, one in Shakespeare and the other in globalization of literature, and both were taught by Ph.D candidates in English who later got their doctorates. In those classes, they were NOT just teaching assistants, but were in full charge of the course, including curriculum development, lecture, and other logistics. I remember asking them to write me a letter of recommendation for a scholarship, which I won!

I hope that helps!

davejonesy

I wouldn't worry too much about having a PhD student write your LOR (slight caveat that it may affect an application to an elite law school). My partner and I both have advanced degrees and wrote a number of LORs for undergraduate students who were admitted to law schools across Canada.

Advice I was given when I was an undergrad applying to grad school was: get an LOR from someone who really knows you and can speak with some specificity about your ability. I don't think there's reason to believe that wouldn't apply to law school. I think its better to have an LOR that reads like it was written by someone with knowledge of the applicant than a highly formulaic, potentially vague letter from a professor.

CardsnHogz

Sorry I'm no help but am curious for curiosity's sake. I get the hesitation because it can feel like a graduate student is recommending you. My opinion this is not advice b/c I have no real clue on the answer:

I'd say, a PhD student isn't technically an employee of the university. They are a student probably on an assistantship. But, I'm out of school and may have an employer write mine. She definitely isn't an employee of the university.

Selene Steelman

As a former admissions officer, I would try to connect with a former professor and give that person enough information about your motivations for law school (your narrative, resume, your academic accomplishments in that class, maybe a draft of your personal statement, your professional goals) so they are able to write a strong, positive, and specific LOR. If a professor is not possible, then an instructor who writes about your potential as a law student would also be acceptable. The committee will look to the academic LORs to get a sense of what sort of student you would be and if you are capable of success in the law school setting. Good luck!

Glutton for the LSAT

PhD student here. I'm not sure what the culture is like where you're from, but in Canada (where I'm from) it's generally normal to get a reference from a PhD student. This is quite normal, especially if the PhD has had experience in teaching or has occupied some kind of pedagogical role.

Ideally, though, you do want a full-professor to write your reference, but I understand that that option is not always available for everyone.

LOWERCASE EVERYTHING

https://7sage.com/admissions/lesson/how-to-pick-your-recommenders/
this might give you some insight. see #1.