Letter of Reference

ParAlum
Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:24:28 +0000

As a member of a grad admission committee, I offer the following.
The ability to gather three letters of recommendation from professors (or inability) is a measure of the applicant’s competitiveness in of itself. If the applicant has made little to no impression on faculty during his undergraduate studies or his subsequent research experiences it is uncertain whether
a) the applicant demonstrates sufficient excellence or dedication to his proposed academic field
b) the applicant has had sufficient exposure with successful members of his field to choose to pursue graduate education especially in doctorate programs!

Both of these concerns are readily remediated by interning with prof in field of interest during or following undergraduate education.

Last-
a graduate student is very far from being a tenure track-peer reviewed member of the faculty! Letters of ref need to be made by individuals who have seen many succeed and fail and thus can articulate if the applicant appears to have the characteristics of the former or the latter!!

And yes, to reiterate prof X’s comments, letters of recommendation from established professors are written in such a way to communicate volumes by what is unsaid and how things are praised! A graduate student (or post-doc) is likely to be inexperienced in such matters.