Ref letters - is how long you've known eachother important?

[Guest madison2001]

When it comes to reference letters, what weight do the admissions people give to the length of time your reference has known you for?

I have a prof who has only known me for a semester as 1 of my references, as well as a volunteer coordinator that has known me for a number of years.

For my last letter I'm trying to decide between my employer who has known me for a year and someone who has known me for over 10 years and with whom I've participated with recreationally and in a volunteer capacity.

Formal and recent vs. longer time knowing me. Which would you choose considering my other 2 reference choices?

 

Thanks!

madison

[Guest natman]

In my experience, the length that a reference has known you did not seem to have a huge impact on getting accepted. My academic reference knew me for 1 year. I had a volunteer coordinator that I had known for 1 year, and a former employer that I had known for about 3 years. Clearly the most important factors in deciding is what kind of picture they will paint of you, and also whether you can find a combination of references that give a complete portrait of your personality and character. That's what I was most concerned with when I asked my references. Looking at the options, probably someone who has known you for a longer time will be better able to comment on you (and I would opt for that) but as long as the others can give a decent letter then I wouldn't worry too much about the choice.

 

Natman

[Guest little endian]

The quality of reference they give you is WAY more important than the length of time you've known them. Make sure though that they can give a reference that reflects that they have gotten to know you well as an individual during the time you've known them ie. if it's a prof that they actually met with you face to face instead of just knowing you as another name on an exam paper.

[Guest endingsoon]

reference letters for medical school (as opposed to residency) mean jack.

 

Unless you have a letter from an academic physician at one of the teaching centres, getting letter x from some phD prof that no one knows anyways is not going to make any differnce.

 

Just get someone who will mark you highly, unless they are very well known as I said above.