>>>>>>>>LOR Questions, Please help~<<<<<<<<<<

[DDS:)]

Hi, everyone. I am very confused here about LOR thing.
I read some of the threads people say LOR need to send directly to the schools that you are applying. Well, I am planning apply dental school next summer, but I already asked 2 professors (one science, one non-science) to write LOR for me since they know me very well. What should I do after they done with it?? Keep it with me for over a year?? Or tell them to finish it next year? ( which they probably forgot about me already) I mean How can I keep them??
People who said send all the LOR directly to each schools, can you make copy of the LORs??

What do you think?? People already applied or going to apply this cycle, Please help.

Many thanks.
DDS

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[J2AZ]

You should have your profs keep their letters on file. Tell them that you would like to keep them abreast of what you are doing so that they can add to or make adjustments to the letters as the application date approaches. If you get the letters from them now they will be too old to use. You need fresh letters when you apply. So, just drop your profs an email every month or so telling them what you are up to and next May you can have them send the letters to AADSAS.

 

[DDS:)]

You should have your profs keep their letters on file. Tell them that you would like to keep them abreast of what you are doing so that they can add to or make adjustments to the letters as the application date approaches. If you get the letters from them now they will be too old to use. You need fresh letters when you apply. So, just drop your profs an email every month or so telling them what you are up to and next May you can have them send the letters to AADSAS.

That sounds really good to me, I just don't know if we can keep in touch for over a year? If I told them keep adding things in the LOR as the semester goes, most likely they won't even start writing it until the dates getting close. Guess the best thing I can do is keep contact with them for the next whole year and refresh their memory every month about what I did and what I will do.

 

[mvs04]

check your schools guidance/career center and see if they have a LOR service that will keep letters for you on file in perpetuity....

you get the profs to send letters to service, then contact service to have the letters sent to wherever.

I wish I knew about this service at my school when I re applied. Then I could have re applied early instead of waiting till Dec. to track down a prof. that moved.

 

[Sprgrover]

That sounds really good to me, I just don't know if we can keep in touch for over a year? If I told them keep adding things in the LOR as the semester goes, most likely they won't even start writing it until the dates getting close. Guess the best thing I can do is keep contact with them for the next whole year and refresh their memory every month about what I did and what I will do.

Unless your professors are planning on leaving in the next year having them hold onto your LOR's shouldn't be a problem. Almost all of the professors I have had write one for me, and not just for dental school, keep either a hard or an electronic copy for themselves. In regards to contacting them every month to inform them of what you have been doing - don't. A good LOR goes beyond being a mere catalog of your accomplishments and offers an assessment of your character, level of responsibility, likelihood for success in dental school and beyond. Further, professors tend to be very busy individuals and contacting them every four weeks to inform them of grades is not necessary. When the time approaches for you to request those LOR's, be sure to give them an updated transcript, your CV, and possibly your personal statement so that they can write/update their LOR's as best they can.

 

[Ruprick]

You should have your profs keep their letters on file. Tell them that you would like to keep them abreast of what you are doing so that they can add to or make adjustments to the letters as the application date approaches. If you get the letters from them now they will be too old to use. You need fresh letters when you apply. So, just drop your profs an email every month or so telling them what you are up to and next May you can have them send the letters to AADSAS.

I'm still not sure how true this is--but is oft repeated on SDN. I am a non-trad student and many of my letters were dated 2003. I haven't been asked yet about the date on my LORs.

 

[DentalSkills]

My pre-health advisor told me to use interfolio for all my LORS. Has anyone heard of this service/used it before? It is supposed to keep all your LORS on a database online and you tell them when and where to send them to.

 

[UW09]

Isnt it pretty hard for profs to remember you when the clases at universities are so big? Which profs do you guys usually ask? (best grades in that class...knows you the best...you took a lot of classes with them?)

 

[DDS:)]

check your schools guidance/career center and see if they have a LOR service that will keep letters for you on file in perpetuity....

you get the profs to send letters to service, then contact service to have the letters sent to wherever.

I wish I knew about this service at my school when I re applied. Then I could have re applied early instead of waiting till Dec. to track down a prof. that moved.

I heard of this service too, just don't know how it works exactly, I will check it out on Monday.

Thanks~

 

[DDS:)]

I'm still not sure how true this is--but is oft repeated on SDN. I am a non-trad student and many of my letters were dated 2003. I haven't been asked yet about the date on my LORs.

So you mean dental school don't care about the date as long as it's a good/positive LOR? If that's the case, I will ask them to write for me after the semester ends.

 

[DDS:)]

Isnt it pretty hard for profs to remember you when the clases at universities are so big? Which profs do you guys usually ask? (best grades in that class...knows you the best...you took a lot of classes with them?)

I think it's good to ask professors who knows you. Of course, by knowing you, you probably need get a good grade in his/her class.

 

[AUTigers]

I'm a little confused about the whole LOR process. I have two dentists that I plan on asking to write one for me, including the dentist I worked for...but I didn't know if the letters are supposed to be kept confidential (from me) and have the dentists send them straight to ADSAS. From what I am understanding though, they write them and hand them to me so I can send them off? I think I'm confusing it with the way my pre-health committee does it.

Thanks for any and all replies.

 

[mochafreak]

If you have profs or dentists write the LORS and give them back to you for you to send to the dental schools, you just have them sign the back of the envelope over the seal to ensure confidentiality.

I'm using Interfolio right now, and it seems to be a good service. If AADSAS loses my LOR's or if I have to reapply next year, I will be able to resend the LOR's by clicking the send button. It was easy to set up my file and I can see when the LORs have been received. Bad things include: if their confidentiality form is not put in front of the LOR, interfolio will not process it (I'm constantly worried about one of my profs doing this), some profs don't like having to read the instructions, they just want to give me the LOR in a signed envelope like they're used to, and I'm not sure how or if I need to use the AADSAS matching form for LOR's sent by Interfolio.

I thought the positives of having the LOR's in a central place where they can be sent electronically outweighed the negatives. But, we'll have to see. I know others have used Interfolio and not had a problem though.

 

[aceking]

Usually some Univ. have a LOR bank that collects all you LOR for ya.
another way would be to use the AADSAS LOR thing and file them there since it is almost May. U can download the form from the Web
i believe that all the letters need like a cover sheet with all your info including like SSN

 

[cowsgomoo]

My school has a pre med committee that combines all the LOR's and sends them to the schools you are applying to. So do I have to send it through ADEA too? Will they process my application even if I don’t send my letters through them?

Thanks,