jixani

Hi everyone,

I have yet another of those Letter of Recommendation issues.
I did a BSc in Ecology at a decent European University, but then switched to computational biology for a MSc, and now plan to obtain a PhD in this field. Two of the three letters I am already sure of, both the supervisors of my BSc and MSc theses agreed to write me letters.

The third letter, however, troubles me, as none of the ideal candidates is a full professor. As the style of work differs strongly between computational biology and ecology, I'm not sure how much yet another LoR of somebody in a different field will help...

I narrowed down my list to three possibilities:
1. A former graduate student (computational biology) and now post-doc at a top5 US university, whom I worked extensively with and who knows most of the people I would like to work with personally.
2. A senior post-doc and lecturer (also computational biology), who taught an undergraduate class I attended and knows me personally well, but whom I did not do any research with.
3. Yet another post-doc (ecology) whom I did undergraduate research and several excursions with, so he knows my style of work quite well.

I personally tend to the grad student, but am unsure enough to ask for suggestions. Is a full professorship that important? What would you suggest?

safetypin00

Don't ask the grad student.

Stickid

Agreed. Im pretty sure a letter from a grad student is completely useless.

eg1

This is coming from someone with no actual knowledge, but I'd think that a LOR from someone KNOWN to the reader of the letter would carry considerable weight (depending on the relationdhip, of course).

psych_

^
Note that the grad student is NOW a post-doc at a prestige place. That sounds like your best option to me!

ThePhilosopher

If this person knows you VERY well, and will give you a considerably better recommendation in terms of detail than your other choices, then go with this person.

coolbluebeans

Unfortunately, there are only so many connections in the world and to obtain an LOR from a specific writer whom a specific reader knows is very rare. Sound advice, but inapplicable most of the time.

I'm not disagreeing, but where are you getting this from and if this is true, what would be the reasoning behind it, assuming that the graduate student is at a prestigious place?

kryptonsa36

Now imagine if you asked a graduate student, who doesn't even have the PhD to confirm his/her ability to complete significant research.

belevitt

Don't ask the grad student or the postdocs. Ask the full professor, even if his work is in a different field. Unless he caught you stealing lab supplies, in that case, ask your high school biology teacher.

Momwaitingfornew

First of all, none of the people you mention is a graduate student. They are all post-docs.

A professor (not necessarily a full professor; an associate or assistant is fine) is always the best option. It's better to use a professor who had you only in class than to use a post-doc. However, if a post-doc is all you have, then you have no choice -- go for the one who knows you best.

When it comes to LORs, most applicants have a weaker third letter, simply because the nature of research makes it difficult for a student to have the time to cultivate deep relationships with three professors. Although those who have three strong letters stand out, those with two strong ones should get good results as well. That said, the third letter needs to be from an appropriate source. For instance, a friend or an employer in a different field will not do. The writer must be in a position to discuss your abilities as a scholar.

Obviously, an LOR from a postdoc is better than no third letter. However, you need to think seriously if you have another choice. Because of your switch, I would think that an ecology prof would be an option, especially if he/she can speak to your abilities as a student/researcher. Who wrote your LORs to get into the MSc program? Maybe you can ask one of them.

Momwaitingfornew

I just want to add: don't confuse these LORs with more general types. These are not meant to speak of your character (although they do) as much as they are supposed to predict your future success as a scholar/researcher. They are supposed to come from authority to authority, colleague to colleague. That's why post docs are not desirable. They haven't yet become peers of those who will be reviewing your application.

jixani

Hi,

First of all, thanks for all the answers and the different opinions. It is quite relieving that while I am feeling that I can only chose from numerous "bad" options, there is none that is absolutely the worst.

I did not have to get Letters of Recommendations for my masters. As I am in Europe, virtually all Bachelor students follow up with a Masters (as two years ago you would not even get a Bachelor degree, but rather directly a Masters degree after five years of study), and as both are at the same University, the process is very informal (read: I simply went to his office and asked, he said "OK" and two month later I started).

Anyway, I decided I will ask an ecology professor who taught three of my (ecology) courses, and who at least knows my name and that I am capable of scientific thinking.

ilikedrit

Lol, and you're getting this notion from where?

Evidence, evidence, my friends! It makes all the difference to the authoritativeness of claims like these!

Stickid

I dont think that claim really needs any evidence. It seems like common sense to me. If the LOR is supposed to attest to my potential as a researcher/scholar I think the person writing the letter should have a a significant amount of experience in research. A grad student will only have been doing research for a few years at most and probably has yet to prove themselves as a competent researcher. So I dont think they are in a position to accurately judge anyone else's potential and therefore are a bad source for a LOR

ilikedrit

Interesting. That's your belief - good for you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.