Letter of Recommendation

[abruns]

One of the schools I'm applying for wants a Letter from an instructor. My problem is my undergraduate was in Art. All of my science pre-requisites that I took had a different instructor for every class because I was working full time and taking my A&P and Chem on weekends and nights when it fit. So, my question is would having a letter of recommendation from an Art teacher look kind of bad since art isn't very "academic"? I'm not sure if I really have a choice in the matter, what would love some opinions.

[greenmood]

Talk to your professor about the purpose of the letter so that he/she can write one that will benefit you. I think it could actually help, if done properly. Perhaps find someone who can speak to your perseverance and creativity, your ability to think outside the box (if you can do that), as well as your academic prowess. If one of your major profs was a mentor or involved in any other part of your academic career as an advisor, etc.

[IdahoPA]

You do have a choice as the instructions were "from instructor" not "from a science instructor." Greenmood sums it up perfectly: you want someone who is going to write such an important letter to know you well. I was a double major and one was in Spanish. My Spanish prof volunteered to write me an LOR. He sadly died from cancer before I needed it, but I would have gladly accepted it because I felt that he had really had a chance to know me over the three semesters as his student. Additionally, his LOR would have been based on both my personal skills (since languages necessarily require interacting) and my academic ones.

 

The alternative, an LOR from a prof who taught you one class, isn't likely to be very informative. What will it say? That you attended class and did well? That's not going to do much for you.

[abruns]

Thank you. You are both right. Regardless of the class, it will benefit me to have someone that knows my character, and ability, like you said "think outside the box", rather than someone that just kind of knows me from one science class. Thanks again.