Letters of recommendation (for the 100th time)

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around the challenges of obtaining a strong letter of recommendation for a master's degree application at a European university. The applicant has a GPA of 3.98 and two years of research experience but is uncertain about the quality of a potential letter from their research supervisor. They consider alternatives, including a letter from another teacher who could provide a stronger endorsement. The consensus emphasizes the importance of securing a positive recommendation, as a weak letter could negatively impact the application.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of graduate school application processes
  • Familiarity with the role of letters of recommendation
  • Knowledge of how to approach potential recommenders
  • Awareness of academic performance metrics like GPA
NEXT STEPS
  • Research best practices for requesting letters of recommendation
  • Learn how to evaluate the strength of potential recommenders
  • Explore strategies for improving relationships with faculty
  • Investigate the impact of recommendation letters on graduate admissions
USEFUL FOR

Prospective graduate students, academic advisors, and anyone seeking to understand the importance of letters of recommendation in the admissions process.

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I'm applying for a masters degree on an European university this year. I have an almost perfect GPA of 3.98, I took some pretty advanced classes and have two years of research experience, but the problem is with the letters of recommendation.

They require me to send one letter of recommendation and I guess they would expect it to be from my research supervisor, but I'm afraid I might not get a good one from him (nobody's perfect). Another possibility is to get it from another teacher whom I've known for about a year and I think I could get a very good one from him. The third possibility is to send both (though they require just one).

Any ideas?
 
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Have you asked either of these people yet?--that's always the first thing to do. Note that normally people don't write you a reference unless they are going to write a good one; they will just suggest you to find someone else to write one for you.
 
Yeah, I'm going to ask both. But anyway, what if the I don't get it from the supervisor? Will it look suspicious on the application?
 
Yes.

But what is your alternative?
 

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