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What should a LOR from a volunteer advisor discuss and how should it be formatted?

LSAT4234LSAT4234 Alum Member
in General 75 karma
I have two academic LOR's already on file. However, one of them might be mediocre(ok but not "knock your socks off") but I don't know because I waived the rights to see it. So I want to get one from a volunteer advisor I volunteered under. How should the LOR be formatted(ex: paragraph 1:......paragraph 2:.......etc) and what should be discussed in each paragraph?

Also, should I send two academic LOR's only, two academic and the one from volunteer advisor or one academic and one from the volunteer advisor?

Comments

  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    edited December 2016 23929 karma
    @LSAT4234 What makes you think one of them might just be mediocre? The answer to this will help me advise further on whether to send all three as opposed to just two.

    As far as formatting a proper LOR: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/982/02/

  • LSAT4234LSAT4234 Alum Member
    75 karma
    Well it's all relative. The professor who wrote the LOR that I am for sure using was excited about writing the letter and remembered with great enthusiasm one essay that I wrote for her despite having many students each semester, like it was one of the best works she has ever read by a student of hers. I got the impression that I was one of her best students ever and hopefully that was conveyed in the LOR. The professor who I feel wrote the "mediocre" LOR seemed happy to write the LOR but at the same time it seemed like he was fulfilling an obligation. The major concern I have is that he asked for my resume which to me implies that my work in his class did not speak enough for itself and he needed to discuss things outside what happened in his class to write the LOR. He seemed impressed with an essay I wrote in his class but the relationship I had with him was nowhere near the one I had with the other professor. I am concerned he wrote a laundry list of my resume in the LOR.
  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma
    @LSAT4234 said:
    The professor who I feel wrote the "mediocre" LOR seemed happy to write the LOR but at the same time it seemed like he was fulfilling an obligation. The major concern I have is that he asked for my resume which to me implies that my work in his class did not speak enough for itself and he needed to discuss things outside what happened in his class to write the LOR. He seemed impressed with an essay I wrote in his class but the relationship I had with him was nowhere near the one I had with the other professor. I am concerned he wrote a laundry list of my resume in the LOR.
    Yeah, I understand your concern. For what it's worth, one of my recommenders who knows me very well (nominated me for awards, did research for her, took 4 of her classes) also asked me for my resume. I think it is pretty standard form for recommenders to ask to see your resume.

    But if you got the impression the letter might be tepid, than I understand for sure.

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