Physics GRE Discussion Forums

1 . a letter from a pretty well known and accomplished professor. You work under a grad student in his big research group.


OR


2. a letter from a very obsecure professor. Publication in a well respected peer-review journal. You work directly with the professor.

irockhard wrote:1 . a letter from a pretty well known and accomplished professor. You work under a grad student in his big research group.


OR


2. a letter from a very obsecure professor. Publication in a well respected peer-review journal. You work directly with the professor.

how about you get both? since you need three letters..... but if i had to choose the second one because the professor knows you better and can judge you as a person and your accomplishments better

can't get both. it's either one or the other.

#2 if you are confident of the publication.

How well known is this well known professor?

Is he so well known that anyone who reads that letter will know who this guy is? If not (and I bet this is the case) go with the publication. Admissions committees want to see details and proof that you are a hard worker who can move the work to completion. If you aren't directly working with the prof, I doubt they can do that for you.

Also, who really cares about prestige? Do whatever research you are most passionate about.

For what it's worth, I came from an unranked school with zero known professors, but I had people who knew me well and wrote very good things about me. This didn't hurt my application at all.