<p>He is classified as an instructor. He has his PHD, but his position in the college is to teach a high level class. He's not a professor, doesn't do research or anything.</p>
<p>Would there be anything wrong asking instructors for LORs?</p>
<p>Can someone please answer this?</p>
<p>Would it be treated with less value than if a professor wrote it?</p>
<p>Imo, there shouldn’t be a difference.</p>
<p>I imagine it would have less value than if a professor writes it. A post-doc has a PhD, but you would not want one writing your letter.</p>
<p>Ideally, you want someone familiar with your research experience, if you have some. The ‘weaker’ letters that might be included in an application would be from professors you simply took classes with. It’s difficult to say how much worse off you would be with a letter of this type from an instructor than full professor.</p>
<p>Yeah, I always hear about don’t let a postdoc write your letter. What was the reason again?</p>
<p>I have research experience, but worked in one lab so that’s only 1 LOR. The other 2 would have to come from professor who have taught me classes. I’m app’ing for grad school next year so I might find an REU or internship this summer and have another LOR. </p>
<p>But I would still need 1or 2 LORs from a professor who have taught me a class and have gotten to known each other. Isn’t that what everyone does for their LORs? </p>
<p>I don’t understand why it would have any less value. The instructor’s job is to teach. I don’t think that’s the same for post docs, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Bump! please help. someone.</p>
<p>You can absolutely ask an instructor for a letter of recommendation. </p>
<p>If you are in the lucky position to have more than 3 strong references, there are a few “advanced considerations.” </p>
<ul>
<li><p>It can be a huge advantage if the adcom knows and trusts your references. I am almost positive that I would have not gotten into the tippy top graduate programs in my field if my references hadn’t been collaborators of the people making the admission decisions. </p></li>
<li><p>More senior professors/instructors can draw better comparisons. Experienced professors can write “most talented student I have met in the past decade” or “he’s at the level where my former students A and B were at his age; they went on to earn PhDs at ___ and now have successful careers in ___.” </p></li>
<li><p>If you are applying to PhD programs, your references are more credible if they know what it takes to do research these days. That’s one argument against letters from people outside of academia or people with limited research experience. This includes senior professors who haven’t kept up with changes in their field (some fields have changed quite drastically in the last few decades) or instructors who quit research after their PhD. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>If you don’t have many potential references, don’t worry about those points. Just focus on getting positive letters from people who know you well.</p>