<p>Hello! I was wondering how a letter of recommendation from a grad student would look to grad progams (specifically psychology, but I imagine this question applies to all). My other two letters will be from full professors.</p>
<p>I think you know if would not look good at all.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help!</p>
<p>I’m a doctoral student and when my students ask me for recommendations, I explicitly tell them that I would write one if they really want it but that the recommendation looks MUCH better coming from a professor. The reason is that even though we are in a program - we haven’t finished a PhD, and therefore cannot comment on exactly whether you have the skills and disposition necessary to finish a PhD, much less succeed in a research career. A professor would be much more qualified to make that judgment.</p>
<p>A professor is a much better resource. If the grad student was a TA and the professor was the instructor of record, ask the professor. Most likely he/she will collaborate with the grad student to get the recommendation letter together, but will sign his/her name. If the instructor of record is the graduate student, then I would suggest using that as a fourth letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>How does it work if you’ve researched closely with a graduate student?</p>
<p>I’m doing a research internship at the moment for part of the summer, and I work very closely with a graduate student who will get his PhD before I apply to graduate school. There’s a good chance that what we do will be published, or that I’ll be included as a coauthor on a paper with a couple of people in his group.</p>
<p>However, the professor in charge of the lab has a lot of other responsibilities and is very famous in the field, but barely knows his own students because he’s so busy (his masters students have met him once). I’d consider getting a combined letter of recommendation from this professor with the graduate student, but I don’t think that I’d be high on his priorities. Letters of recommendation also have to be mailed, and this lab isn’t in the US, so I’m worried it could be a burden asking for a recommendation.</p>
<p>So, what are my options? Should I bother asking for a recommendation? Another option would be to ask for a recommendation from one of the other professors/scientists affiliated with the research group, but they won’t be supervising my project on paper and they’re not quite as famous. The graduate student will know my work really well.</p>
<p>The prof’s students met him once, and yet he is their advisor? I find that hrd to believe.
If I were the adcom, I would honestly question any letter coming from a grad student. It would raise questions on the applicant’s relationship with the prof. Most undergrads work more closely with grad students, and the PI of the lab writes the LOR. What makes you think you’re any different? That’s what they’re going to think.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s true. He’s their adviser on paper but not really in practice. He spends 20% of his time in the same country as the university because he has a very high profile appointment on a research council (the most prominent one in this continent). It means that other research scientists in the department take on the responsibility for mentoring the students in his absence.</p>
<p>I’ve done research in the US and here, and I feel as though the working style here is very very very different. I would much prefer to get a letter of recommendation from the professor as his name goes far, but I’m not sure if he’ll even remember who I am (in regards to the relationship with the professor, I know that he knows that I exist, but we’ve never once had a conversation about my work). I’ve had more conversations with other professors in the department about what I’m doing and I’ve asked them for advice far more often than I’ve even seen the PI around the university. I don’t envisage that changing during my stay here.</p>
<p>The way I see it, I have several options:</p>
<p>1) Get a letter of rec from the grad student and submit it as a supplemental letter (not as a main letter - thankfully I’ve done research and worked with other professors so I can get letters from professors)
2) Try and get a letter from the PI, even though it’ll say very little about my aptitude and work ethic. Maybe try and get it cosigned so that the graduate student can actually write about how I work.
3) Get a letter from one of the other scientists (who aren’t tenured) who I’ve worked with more closely here.
4) Not get any letter of recommendation from here and hope that a publication or two makes up for it.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any thoughts?</p>
<p>schrodingerscat, I recommend getting a letter cosigned by your PI, if you can. In my lab, I work closely with a postdoctoral fellow, and I’ve only spoken to my PI a handful of times (and it was about research once, I think). When I asked for a letter from my postdoc, she went ahead and asked the PI for me. He recommended that my postdoc write a letter that my PI would edit and add to as he saw fit and sign it. </p>
<p>General consensus (at least in my field) is that a letter from your PI will go much, much further than a letter from a grad student. Even my postdoc (who has a PhD, and I suppose theoretically should know what it takes to succeed in graduate level work) wasn’t comfortable writing me a recommendation letter on her own because a letter form my PI would mean a lot more. In my opinion, if your PI is willing (and I’ve found that most are; it seems to be relatively common but YMMV), a joint letter would be best. That way the letter would have all of the great things your grad student would have to say about you with the weight of your PI’s endorsement behind you.</p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to ask, at the very least. I never liked to inconvenience my letter writers, but they were all very supportive and receptive to writing me a letter. It’s a common practice that they are very accustomed to, and your PI might be more receptive to it than you expect. If not, at least you asked, and then you can weigh other options. But it’s definitely worth it to shoot for a letter that’s signed by your PI, if you can.</p>
<p>Also, with regards to the inconvenience of mailing in the letter, my PI has an administrative assistant that does a lot of the administrative work for him and my lab. Your PI might have someone similar who can mail the letter for him.</p>
<p>@baktrax (and others): Do you feel that a letter of rec from a postdoc would be as inappropriate as a letter of rec from a grad student? I’m in a situation like OPs, but I’m in a field where the PI position doesn’t really exist. However, my postdoc will be starting as a professor at another university this fall; does that make a recommendation from him okay?</p>
<p>@OP: I would agree with the consensus here that a letter from a TA or grad student is not advisable, but if your PI agrees to the letter, it is very likely that s/he will discuss your work with someone who advises you more closely. You might mention who directly supervises you in your recommendation request, but I think directly asking the PI to consult with this or these grad students would be too forward. If getting the continued attention of your PI is difficult, I would recommend talking to an administrative assistant, given that there is one. With a very busy professor I needed a rec from recently, talking to her was just the thing. I made sure to send both the professor and his assistant thank you notes.</p>
<p>Millancad, if you’re field doesn’t really have a PI position, then I would imagine a letter from a postdoc would be acceptable. I think the goal with letter of recommendations is to be recommended by someone who has a lot of experience in the field and is therefore able to comment on your ability to complete graduate studies and contribute to the field. Therefore, from what I’ve been told, at least, there seems to be a gradation of preference for letter writers. For instance, I tenured professor is better than a lecturer, a professor is better than a postdoc, a postdoc is better than a grad student, etc. Obviously, this is all likely field and situation specific, and I think any advice should be taken with a grain of salt. I would imagine a letter from your postdoc would be appropriate in your case, especially if you have another letter from a full professor in your field. Your postdoc may be able to comment more on this if you ask for their advice. In my situation, my postdoc suggested my PI also write the letter because his word would hold more weight than hers, but that situation may not always be the case.</p>
<p>Also, to the OP, I’d like to give a +1 to what Millancad said about your PI asking for comments from the people you work with the most. As a TA, I was asked for comments about students in my section from my professor since I had more direct contact with the students. The letter was still from the professor, but it included more detailed information about the person. Your PI may very well do the same.</p>