<p>I’m in engineering at the third ranked school for my specialty and also applying to the number 1 for grad school.</p>
<p>I already have 2 letters of recommendation lined up: one from a professor (who graduated from the school I’m applying to) and one from a supervisor at a non-industry related campus job. I don’t really have another professor who knows me on a personal level. Is it unusual to get a LOR from a Ph.D student that I was a research assistant to? I’m thinking that then each of the 3 letters reflect a different facet… intellect, research, leadership/work skills, but I don’t know if this is common or kosher.</p>
<p>I’m also thinking that there’s at most a 10% possibility I will continue to Ph.D. Is applying for MS/PhD going to place me in a more competitive pool and thereby hurt my application for not having a specific research interest yet?</p>
<p>@buzzbuzzbuzz, I would offer the suggestion of proceeding with retrieving a third letter of recommendation from your former PH.D whom you catered to as he/she knows you well I’m assuming. Furthermore, obtaining three distinct LOR’s from people who can assess your performance, as well as dedication/commitment can only heighten your application and enhance your chances of admission. Finally, as far as applying to a PH.D program is concerned I would advise you to specifically apply to PH.D prgrams that spark your interest and if your hesitant to obtain a post doctoral, then just apply for an MS. Also, depending on which institutions you apply to adds variance to each schools requirements and criteria for admittance as well as set policies. Meaning, that for one school who possesses a combined MS/PH.D, over another with the same degree(s), will most likely have different stringent principles to follow and vice versa with regular PH.D programs.</p>
<p>An LOR from a PhD student is inadvisable and disadvantageous; graduate students are not yet established researchers in their fields, so their letters will not carry much weight during review of your application. Is your first LOR from the professor you and the PhD student work for? If not, you could ask the PhD student to draft an LOR but have the PI sign it.</p>
<p>Otherwise, though, if there is not one other senior-level individual you know of who can provide a strong LOR on your behalf, you may have to use the PhD student as your third LOR source.</p>
<p>Yes, the professor is the PhD student’s advisor.</p>
<p>I don’t think I have had a single class with <35 students, so I haven’t had great opportunities to get to know professors, particularly because I’m graduating in 3 years and just taking the courses that are relevant to my major and focus this last year.
I imagine engineering might be a little different than social sciences and humanities in this regard. Do professors often write letters for students that they only know based on grades and answering questions in class?</p>
<p>You haven’t done any research?</p>
<p>Anyway, you can pick a professor whose class you did well in and they will usually ask to meet with you to discuss who you are, your interests, etc. Is it going to be a very strong letter? No. But, many schools specifically state that they do not want recommendations from PhD students so I don’t think that is the best option at all.</p>