LOR from senior research associate?

Graduate School
1

<p>I am about to finish up my MS in life science and hope to continue to bioegineering field for my PhD. I have all my application materials ready and 3 LOR written by my committee members. However, since my background is mostly in basic research and I intend to goto engineering schools, I wonder if a fourth letter from a person in the field engineering would improve my chance to get admitted. I asked around and finally have the following options. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>An assistant professor, a very nice person and I helped in one of projects in his lab. He offered to write a letter but also said it won't be as good as from my committee because he does not know me that well. </p></li>
<li><p>A senior research associate, who I worked with for the project I mentioned above. Also a very nice person. Said he could write a very good letter if I ask him. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Which one of them should I ask? Thanks for the help!</p>

2

<p>Since they are not your most important letters, go with the one you think will be best and don’t worry about it. I’d go with #2. It is a fourth letter so it doesn’t really matter, imo.</p>