Letters of recommendation (for the 100th time)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of obtaining letters of recommendation for a master's degree application, specifically focusing on the implications of choosing between a research supervisor and another teacher. The scope includes personal experiences and advice related to academic applications.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the quality of a potential letter from their research supervisor, despite having a strong academic record and research experience.
  • Another participant suggests that typically, recommenders will only agree to write a letter if they can provide a positive endorsement.
  • The original poster questions whether not obtaining a letter from their supervisor would raise suspicions in the application process.
  • A later reply directly affirms that it would look suspicious but does not provide a solution to the dilemma.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best course of action regarding the letters of recommendation, and concerns about the implications of their choices remain unresolved.

r4nd0m
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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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