No Letters of Recommendation in COVID-Land

[PA_dud3]

So, full disclosure, I am applying to mostly DO schools but I thought I'd post here.

I am having some serious reservations about my Letters of Recommendation (or lack thereof). I thought I would just wait until my Junior/Senior year to get them but with COVID, all of my chances to personally connect with my Professors has been stymied by the transition to all online classes. As it stands now I am taking two more science classes and I see those as my last opportunity to secure two Science LoRs. But how the heck am I supposed to establish a good relationship behind a computer screen? I'm not worried about the non-science letter as I have a strong letter from a History professor, but all of my Science leads have gone cold since my last interaction with these professors was nearly a year ago before COVID. Would it be feasible to get a remotely strong LoR from an online course? I'm thinking Physics and some sort of Biology course. I suppose if I email them frequently and attend Zoom lectures and ask questions it would be enough, but who knows. What are my fellow 2021-2022 Applicants doing in light of recent events to secure LoRs if you haven't already?

Thanks so much for any advice you can provide in this matter.

Dd3

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[KnightDoc]

So, full disclosure, I am applying to mostly DO schools but I thought I'd post here.

I am having some serious reservations about my Letters of Recommendation (or lack thereof). I thought I would just wait until my Junior/Senior year to get them but with COVID, all of my chances to personally connect with my Professors has been stymied by the transition to all online classes. As it stands now I am taking two more science classes and I see those as my last opportunity to secure two Science LoRs. But how the heck am I supposed to establish a good relationship behind a computer screen? I'm not worried about the non-science letter as I have a strong letter from a History professor, but all of my Science leads have gone cold since my last interaction with these professors was nearly a year ago before COVID. Would it be feasible to get a remotely strong LoR from an online course? I'm thinking Physics and some sort of Biology course. I suppose if I email them frequently and attend Zoom lectures and ask questions it would be enough, but who knows. What are my fellow 2021-2022 Applicants doing in light of recent events to secure LoRs if you haven't already?

Thanks so much for any advice you can provide in this matter.

Dd3

I think you either have to go back OR wait until live classes begin again, probably Fall 2021, which won't help for the 2021-22 cycle. It sucks that you are in the position, and I'm sure profs will be willing to write letters, but I don't see how they can possibly compare to letters written by people who had actual in person interactions with the candidates.

It will be better than nothing if it's all you can get, but I think it will put you at a disadvantage. JMHO as a fellow future applicant who wouldn't do it.

 

[PA_dud3]

I think you either have to go back OR wait until live classes begin again, probably Fall 2021, which won't help for the 2021-22 cycle. It sucks that you are in the position, and I'm sure profs will be willing to write letters, but I don't see how they can possibly compare to letters written by people who had actual in person interactions with the candidates.

It will be better than nothing if it's all you can get, but I think it will put you at a disadvantage. JMHO as a fellow future applicant who wouldn't do it.

That's unfortunate. I don't see myself being able to go back unfortunately with everything going on. I'm graduating in the Summer, as well, so I won't be able to attend Fall 2021. I will have to evaluate my options and see if maybe I can take some science classes at a CC to get a LoR.

 

[KnightDoc]

That's unfortunate. I don't see myself being able to go back unfortunately with everything going on. I'm graduating in the Summer, as well, so I won't be able to attend Fall 2021. I will have to evaluate my options and see if maybe I can take some science classes at a CC to get a LoR.

Ehh. TBH, if the rest of your app is good, I'm not sure taking CC classes just to get a CC professor LOR will be worth it. Yeah, you'll be at a disadvantage, but I personally don't think LORs are THAT important, unless they are bad. Not great and somewhat impersonal is not the same as bad. Why can't you go back? Isn't there any class you did well in where a prof would be willing to help you out? Remember, most profs consider it to be part of their job, and are happy to help.

I'd be interested to hear what the adcoms have to say about this. I'm sure an LOR from an online class is less than ideal, but I also can't believe it's so bad that it would require otherwise unnecessary post-bacc work just to remediate it.

 

[PA_dud3]

Ehh. TBH, if the rest of your app is good, I'm not sure taking CC classes just to get a CC professor LOR will be worth it. Yeah, you'll be at a disadvantage, but I personally don't think LORs are THAT important, unless they are bad. Not great and somewhat impersonal is not the same as bad. Why can't you go back? Isn't there any class you did well in where a prof would be willing to help you out? Remember, most profs consider it to be part of their job, and are happy to help.

I'd be interested to hear what the adcoms have to say about this. I'm sure an LOR from an online class is less than ideal, but I also can't believe it's so bad that it would require otherwise unnecessary post-bacc work just to remediate it.

Thank you for your advice, anyway. I am worried somewhat about the quality of my LoRs being a major impact due to a downward trend in my GPA Iam trying to repair in the upcoming semesters. I decided to take a class with a professor I have had some interactions with before so that I can at least refresh his memory of me and hopefully allow him to write a decent LoR. I will just have to try and attend zoom/office hours/email them regularly in hopes it is enough.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thank you for your advice, anyway. I am worried somewhat about the quality of my LoRs being a major impact due to a downward trend in my GPA Iam trying to repair in the upcoming semesters. I decided to take a class with a professor I have had some interactions with before so that I can at least refresh his memory of me and hopefully allow him to write a decent LoR. I will just have to try and attend zoom/office hours/email them regularly in hopes it is enough.

I've said it before (I'm not an adcom, so I might have no idea what I am talking about! ), but I really don't think LORs move the needle for most people, because they are pretty similar for most of us. You just want to try to avoid one that is more generic than usual because the writer has never even met you. Unless the letter totally sucks, however, I think it would be really hard for a letter to have a major negative impact on your app.

A downward trend in your GPA is a much bigger issue, which you know you clearly need to address in order to be successful. I honestly don't think great LORs would fix that -- only better grades going forward will do that. Once you repair your grades, regular decent LORs should get the job done for you, so I wouldn't stress about needing great LORs. Just try to avoid crappy ones!