Recommendation Letter is More Valuable than SOP?
By HSB
Graduate Schools Admission includes mandatory Statement of Purpose and 3 letter of recommendation. But, which one has more value SOP or LOR?
SOP or LOR
According to Stanford University Dean of Admissions Derrick Bolton. He states:
If you asked me ‘could I make a decision on an application without essays?’ I would say ‘absolutely’, but ‘could I make a decision without recommendations?’ ‘No way.’ To me the recommendations are more important than the essays, but the essays get more attention.
- Derrick Bolton, ‘Faculty Spotlight: Interview with Derrick Bolton,’ March 13, 2006, The Stanford Business Reporter.
LOR is worthless
LOR has high importance compared to SOP.But students applying for India have 100% control on the LOR. Only few selective professors and Managers will give confidential LOR. Majority of the students applying to Graduate School will write LOR by themselves and get signature from their Professor or Lecturers.
Many universities in America might not be aware of such things. In such cases, LOR is just worthless. Do you agree?
Related posts:
- 10 Criteria For Writing Effective Recommendation Letter
- Letter of Recommendation : Do and Dont’s
- The Letter of Recommendation and Getting Into College
- Letter of Recommendation Examples and Samples
- (Updated)Letter of Recommendation that gets Graduate School Admission
Hi,
For a student applying for MS or PhD, is getting
a LOR from a teacher who only has a BE degree of
any worth?
They are well aware of what an LOR is. The don’t care of Indian LOR thats it.
Friends
greetings, How the Indian Students could have control over LOR,
does it mean
1)student request professors for LOR and the professor gives LOR the way student wants it?
2)professor of Indian colleges are at the mercy of students?
3)It is a matter of quality and prestige for a professor to give LOR to a counterpart at different university and i am sure they will give true statement of the students.
Honestly i feel only a deserving and studious student only will elect to pursue his higher education
and that will help him and the country of origin.
if he gets a good education and that might land at good job or career in USA.
he might send back home some money that way India will benefit in forex inflow
if he gets a noble prize or some extra ordinary achievement
we in India can feel proud of that.
i am of the opinion that mostly professors take their own decision and give their honest opinion about the caliber of the student.
after all if his student gets better opportunity to pursue higher education, professor will be elated certainly
this is my view.
cheers
easwaran
India
1)student request professors for LOR and the professor gives LOR the way student wants it?
Nope… studetn request the professors for LOR and students they provide the LOR and they just sign it.
2)professor of Indian colleges are at the mercy of students?
Professors from IIT and top Universities know how to write LOR, but most other engineering schools lecturers have no clue about writing an LOR.
Friends
i have forwarded Letter of Recommendation that gets Graduate School Admission, curtsy HSB article to HOD Mechanical of sons engineering college. and also requested him to visit this site for more information.in addition to this i have requested him to put this blog address in the college news board, so that the aspiring students who are not aware of such wonderful service are available here , with net savvy students is on the rise i am sure many will benefit.
Let the whole world be well informed
thanks
cheers
easwaran
Thats wonderful. Thanks for your help.
“The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do”
Walter Bagehot
i prefer to abide in the words of this great scholor
cheers
Easwaran
Oh yes they do know it very well. The America universities are very well aware of Indian students having 100 % control over their LORs. They are not fools as they have been dealing with Indian people from almost 30 years now. In my opinion, they mostly ignore Indian LORs unless they are from an established professor especially at IIT.