I am currently attending a community college but will soon be transferring to a university upon getting my associates degree. I would like to attend Yale but i know it is very competitive and unlikely that i would actually get accepted especially coming from a community college. How much do recommendations actually help? What if the recommendation letter is from a surgeon who happens to be an alumni from Yale? I am pre med
@xxariana39 How would they not help? As long as there is no major discrepancy and it shows that you’re just as committed to success inside the classroom as outside of it, they will always be beneficial.
Letters from people who know you casually, even if they are from alumni, are not counted heavily. If however the surgeon knows you well (as a teacher, or supervisor) then it could matter a lot, especially if it is written well.
Would it make any difference if i shadowed him as a pre med student?
@xxariana39 It might help a little (not that much, however). Shadowing would allow you to gain some insight into the major, as well as to allow the surgeon to learn more about you so that he/she could write a better letter of recommendation that is more personal. However, if they already know you very well, chances are it won’t do very much beyond a demonstrated interest.
Shadowing is not the same as having someone as a supervisor or teacher. If the surgeon has something meaningful to say, then I think it will help. However it won’t be given a lot of weight.
Another option is to have the surgeon call the admissions office on your behalf.
@sgopal2 I think OP and I are in the same boat. As for me, my additional rec writer was my boss for an internship that I did (successful entrepreneur) and happens to also be the head and my music mentor for my church’s jazz band in which I play in (we go to the same church). I’m hoping that he’ll write about my entrepreneurship/business and saxophone pursuits. Even though we keep a close friendly relationship as well as a professional relationship, does this count as a sufficient LOR from a person who takes the role of a “teacher” and not a “casual” person? Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I think this is similar to OP’s situation.