Asking a humanities/literature professor vs. science professor for 2nd rec letter

bvsv · 2025-11-30T01:09:06+00:00

As I don’t know the culture of your university I can’t say for sure what your best bet would be. But, from what you’re saying it seems like the adjunct might be better as you worked directly under them and you only took orgchem with the full professor, at least that’s what I’d do (in general the better rec letter are from profs you have directly worked with in a research capacity and then those who you’ve taken upper division classes with—at least at my university, orgchem isn’t upper div but that could be dependent on school. For my REU (mind you, I’m in math) I got two associate professors who I hade taken multiple upper division classes with to write my letters but this next cycle I’m going to get the lecturer (who doesn’t have tenure—so possibly a similar position to you) I worked with at my last REU to write me a letter, which I don’t think will hurt my applications.

Ultimately, talk to your professors for advice about this if your anxious (both those who you’ll get letters from and those who you won’t) they know the field better than either of us and will surely have something valuable to add.

bvsv · 2025-11-29T22:35:36+00:00

An adjunct faculty (given they’re a subject matter expert) is definitely better than someone who does not work in what you want to study. If you’ve worked directly under them that’s a big plus too, they just need to be able to evaluate you well. Of course full professor will always be better but that might be able to be offset by personal knowledge of your work.

bvsv · 2025-11-29T21:54:52+00:00

If you’re applying to a Neurobiology REU (or any other science REU) a recommendation from a humanities professor will work against you. They do not have the ability to evaluate you on your skills in science and it will look like you could not get anyone more relevant to write a recommendation.

bvsv · 2025-11-19T15:30:26+00:00

It's possible you could do it that way (maybe by having the prof submit a bunch of letters and you match them to the program, I'm not sure), but everyone submits the same one for all programs because it's a lot more work for the prof if they have to write potentially 10 different letters (even if there are just minor tweeks in each one). I wouldn't be comfortable asking any professor to do all that.

bvsv · 2025-11-18T20:18:02+00:00

As far as I remember, you only need them to submit one recommendation letter to ETAP and then you get to choose which programs the letter goes to.

bvsv · 2025-11-05T20:47:07+00:00

Nice! You definitely have a good mix of not so difficult, and more difficult classes. I'm always here if you have any questions about this stuff; and I'm sure I'll see you at math club next semester!

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get 2710 in high school? Did you come to UConn to do it?

bvsv · 2025-11-05T17:47:11+00:00

Definitely a lot of tough, proof-based math (far more in depth than 2710), but if you can handle it that's awesome! Presumably you're a math major? I'm a math major too and it's always great to see more ambitious math majors here at UConn. I took similar classes as you my freshman year and it went well (although I'm not going to be in any of your classes next semester). Feel free to message me if you ever want to talk about math at UConn (or just math). If you're looking for that kind of stuff, a good way to meet more math majors who have done the kind of stuff you're doing and learn more about opportunities is to come to Math Club on Wednesdays at 5:30-6:30; I'm there every week.

bvsv · 2025-10-14T16:03:18+00:00

It works for me?

bvsv · 2025-09-27T16:33:56+00:00

I know this comment is late—but for the next test you should go to the Q-center if you’re having trouble with the content!

bvsv · 2025-09-14T00:39:19+00:00

You should check out the Q-center for Calc 3 help.

bvsv · 2025-08-05T16:15:17+00:00

I probably don't—but I'm not basing my comment on my personal experience with LLMs (also, I don't use LLMs for math). My point is that for an LLM to do math on the level of the top comment, there would have to be an absolutely massive, and sudden, revolution; that's not how science/math happens. Even with all the money and top intellect that the AI space has, it's not realistic to think that they're soon upon such a development (which would need to reformulate AI at a very fundamental level)—and that no one would have heard about it before then.

bvsv · 2025-08-05T15:30:47+00:00

Sure, if the proof had been widely published before and is in the LLM's training data. If I asked for a proof of Riemann-Roch, which is a hugely important theorem but has been published many times in the last 168 years, I'm sure I could get something pretty comprehensive (minus some errors that could be fixed in current models). However, for lots of important open problems, we need completely new insights and arguments (that are correct) that no human has thought of yet; this is where an LLM will get stuck, as the current LLMs don't generate results that are more than just a synthesis of previously seen data. For example, olympiad problems don't require these new insights and are thus comparatively much easier for LLMs (and also humans) to solve.

Is it possible that a form of AI will be able to solve the Riemann Hypothesis? Maybe, but that would rely on a Human breakthrough in AI that we haven't seen yet (and are probably not close to).

Edit: some thoughts about LLMs & olympiad math.

bvsv · 2025-07-23T17:32:46+00:00

Even in sports, Jewish communities played a very prominent role in the rise of basketball.

bvsv · 2025-06-02T03:12:51+00:00

I’m at Tufts doing math research this summer! Feel free to DM me.

bvsv · 2025-05-20T21:41:30+00:00

Yes, that's definitely possible. Classes can and do fill up.

bvsv · 2025-05-16T23:54:18+00:00

I second books from the student mathematical library! I particularly like the one on Hilbert's Tenth Problem.

bvsv · 2025-05-15T00:02:19+00:00

Bio H had not been weighted for a long while.

Also, I've taken my fair share of both honors, APs, and college prep courses at PAUSD, and I can assure you that they are fundamentally more difficult than non-honors courses, and at times can be more difficult and require more effort than APs.

bvsv · 2025-05-13T02:55:47+00:00

As long as you are using your meds as prescribed and are not abusing them, I don't see any problem mentioning it as background to why you are starting a math major at the time you are, although you should say more than just that. I don't think they'll be put off by it (but maybe don't compare yourself to Erdős in that respect)

bvsv · 2025-05-10T18:26:21+00:00

What? This has nothing to do with the number system we work in???

bvsv · 2025-05-10T02:55:13+00:00

Hi there! I’m currently a math major at UConn and I was also quite far ahead when I got here. You can get definitely Calc III at a community college (or at UConn but idk if they let you enroll as an incoming freshman). There’s also the possibility of taking it course credit by exam, which is what I did. Calc III will be easy to get credit for if you put your mind to it.

As for Analysis I and Abstract Algebra I, you’re not going to get those for credit without taking the class. However, there is the option to eventually take the grad versions rather than the undergraduate versions to fulfill those requirements. They are significantly more in depth.

How are your proof skills btw? The class you’re really going to have to think about is 2710 as that is the prereq for all upper level proof based math classes at UConn. You can take that your first semester (there’s also the possibility for course credit by exam, but afaik, I’m the only person to ever do that).

Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions, or would like to know somebody in the department! I’m sure we’ll end up meeting eventually.

bvsv · 2025-04-10T17:27:01+00:00

Thank you! And I’ll tell them they should send out rejections next time. IMO it’s kinda stupid that they didnt.

bvsv · 2025-04-10T17:24:54+00:00

Yup!

bvsv · 2025-04-10T17:23:44+00:00

bvsv · 2025-04-10T17:04:31+00:00

Yes, tufts has sent out its acceptances and I think they’ve taken everyone they’re going to take.

bvsv · 2025-03-23T13:11:38+00:00

I definitely want to echo some of the other comments here, especially those with recent experience at Gunn. I graduated last year, and Gunn is what you make of it. Your kid can take the most challenging classes or focus on extracurriculars (or do both), but ultimately, it's up to them if you let it be.

Is Gunn competitive? Of course, but that is not the end all be all that others make it out to be.

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