Should I ask for Letter of Rec now?

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animalrie

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So I'm spending a semester in Australia (leaving this February) but am also planning on applying to vet school this summer (I return from abroad in July). Since last July, I've been shadowing a couple of vets who I would really like to get letters of rec from. I'm wondering, should I go ahead and ask them now and get them to upload them to Interfolio? My worry is that being gone for an entire semester will make them forget a lot of what I've done while shadowing them. Or would it be better to wait and ask them around August when I've come back and shadowed them for about a month (adding some hours to the time I've spent shadowing)?

A little more info: one is a veterinary surgeon whom I know will write me a very strong letter of rec (I've been going in twice a week and assisting a lot with surgeries), the other is a general practitioner who would also write me a strong letter but who doesn't know me nearly as well as the surgeon...Third letter will be coming from the PI in the lab I work in but I think that can wait (I've been working in the lab since my freshman year).

Also, it it makes any difference, my in state is Texas A&M, which uses TMDSAS for applications (I think Interfolio will work...).

Sorry for the plethora of info, I didn't know what would make a difference. Thanks in advance for the advice!

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So I'm spending a semester in Australia (leaving this February) but am also planning on applying to vet school this summer (I return from abroad in July). Since last July, I've been shadowing a couple of vets who I would really like to get letters of rec from. I'm wondering, should I go ahead and ask them now and get them to upload them to Interfolio? My worry is that being gone for an entire semester will make them forget a lot of what I've done while shadowing them. Or would it be better to wait and ask them around August when I've come back and shadowed them for about a month (adding some hours to the time I've spent shadowing)?

A little more info: one is a veterinary surgeon whom I know will write me a very strong letter of rec (I've been going in twice a week and assisting a lot with surgeries), the other is a general practitioner who would also write me a strong letter but who doesn't know me nearly as well as the surgeon...Third letter will be coming from the PI in the lab I work in but I think that can wait (I've been working in the lab since my freshman year).

Also, it it makes any difference, my in state is Texas A&M, which uses TMDSAS for applications (I think Interfolio will work...).

Sorry for the plethora of info, I didn't know what would make a difference. Thanks in advance for the advice!
why not? I think its prudent to ask early. or at least give them a heads up early. if they arent comfortable, they should let you know.

make sure to ask for a positive letter of rec
 
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So I'm spending a semester in Australia (leaving this February) but am also planning on applying to vet school this summer (I return from abroad in July). Since last July, I've been shadowing a couple of vets who I would really like to get letters of rec from. I'm wondering, should I go ahead and ask them now and get them to upload them to Interfolio? My worry is that being gone for an entire semester will make them forget a lot of what I've done while shadowing them. Or would it be better to wait and ask them around August when I've come back and shadowed them for about a month (adding some hours to the time I've spent shadowing)?

A little more info: one is a veterinary surgeon whom I know will write me a very strong letter of rec (I've been going in twice a week and assisting a lot with surgeries), the other is a general practitioner who would also write me a strong letter but who doesn't know me nearly as well as the surgeon...Third letter will be coming from the PI in the lab I work in but I think that can wait (I've been working in the lab since my freshman year).

Also, it it makes any difference, my in state is Texas A&M, which uses TMDSAS for applications (I think Interfolio will work...).

Sorry for the plethora of info, I didn't know what would make a difference. Thanks in advance for the advice!
I agree asking early would be better than waiting until August and possibly being caught short having to find other LOR writers. Asking in person is preferable if at all possible. Of course, this is assuming the system A&M uses would be open for submission for the next cycle this early (I'm not sure what Interfolio is...). If you'll also be applying to any schools that use VMCAS, they won't be open for the next cycle until June.
 
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I agree asking early would be better than waiting until August and possibly being caught short having to find other LOR writers. Asking in person is preferable if at all possible. Of course, this is assuming the system A&M uses would be open for submission for the next cycle this early (I'm not sure what Interfolio is...). If you'll also be applying to any schools that use VMCAS, they won't be open for the next cycle until June.

Ohhhh I just checked and VMCAS doesn't take letters of rec from Interfolio :(...would it be weird to ask them to write the letters now but not submit them until May?
 
Ohhhh I just checked and VMCAS doesn't take letters of rec from Interfolio :(...would it be weird to ask them to write the letters now but not submit them until May?

No, not at all. Speaking as someone who has written many recommendation letters, my hunch is they would be grateful if you ask for it while you are most 'fresh' on their mind.

And really, just dump it in their lap and make it their problem. Go in, talk to them, tell them your plans (to go overseas, then come back and apply), and ask if they would be comfortable writing you a great letter of recommendation. That way, when they write it becomes their decision.... they could do it now, later, whatever.

Bottom line: It's perfectly appropriate to ask now.

G'luck!
 
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Ohhhh I just checked and VMCAS doesn't take letters of rec from Interfolio :(...would it be weird to ask them to write the letters now but not submit them until May?
I think their best bet would be to write it now (like LIS said, with you fresh on the mind) in like a Word document or something. Then when application time comes around and VMCAS actually opens up they can copy/paste things from the document into whatever program they use for VMCAS. Or expand or use it as a reminder/reference for when they write the "real" one. In any case, the more time you give them the better IMO.
 
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Follow up question to this:

So as I mentioned, I just started shadowing these vets this summer. I've been going to the general practitioner just once a week for a few hours and by the time I leave the country, I will only have a little over 50 hours (I plan to go back in the fall, though). I'll have about 150 hours with the surgeon by February. Will having these few hours raise a red flag?

I'm not concerned about getting solid letters of rec, but will the admissions committee raise an eyebrow at this, especially since I have way more hours in other vet experience areas? (I've volunteered at a low cost spay/neuter clinic since freshman year and worked full time for a summer at a clinic during high school. But I think the letters would be much stronger from these other vets.)

Thanks again!
 
Follow up question to this:

So as I mentioned, I just started shadowing these vets this summer. I've been going to the general practitioner just once a week for a few hours and by the time I leave the country, I will only have a little over 50 hours (I plan to go back in the fall, though). I'll have about 150 hours with the surgeon by February. Will having these few hours raise a red flag?

I'm not concerned about getting solid letters of rec, but will the admissions committee raise an eyebrow at this, especially since I have way more hours in other vet experience areas? (I've volunteered at a low cost spay/neuter clinic since freshman year and worked full time for a summer at a clinic during high school. But I think the letters would be much stronger from these other vets.)

Thanks again!

I don't know that anyone can answer that with a great degree of confidence, yanno?

I will say that one of my letters came from a practitioner I had spent 75 hours with, even though the vast majority of my experience came from elsewhere. One of my letters was from a CVT - which I suspect most people here would poopoo as a 'good' idea (she essentially ran her own department at the hospital and I volunteered with her for a few years; it would have been silly to ask for one from the DVM who was technically in charge - I met her only once prior to vet school).
 
I don't know that anyone can answer that with a great degree of confidence, yanno?

I will say that one of my letters came from a practitioner I had spent 75 hours with, even though the vast majority of my experience came from elsewhere. One of my letters was from a CVT - which I suspect most people here would poopoo as a 'good' idea (she essentially ran her own department at the hospital and I volunteered with her for a few years; it would have been silly to ask for one from the DVM who was technically in charge - I met her only once prior to vet school).
I've volunteered in the vet school's neuro department for almost three years. The CVT and RVT knew me the best, since the doctors would rotate in and out on blocks. Didn't have a negative impact on my application
 
I've volunteered in the vet school's neuro department for almost three years. The CVT and RVT knew me the best, since the doctors would rotate in and out on blocks. Didn't have a negative impact on my application

Agreed. As long as they can write it well ....

I've had a few people tell me before "Oh that was really a bad idea - it really should be a dvm" blah blah blah. Seems to have worked just fine for me.

Anyway. That wasn't the point of the OP's question, so kinda off track.

@animalrie , the key is that the letters are strong recommendations and that they're saying the kinds of things about you that are important to support your overall application. If you're telling people you want to go into surgery, it's probably a good idea to have some surgical experience (at least shadowing) and have a writer talk about your inquisitive nature in surgery. If you want to do dairy work, it would be nice to have a writer who talks about how hard-working you were and willing to jump in and help out when cruising around doing farm calls. There's not really one "right" letter, or an hourly requirement to get it, so long as it supports the general trajectory of your application. I went out to lunch with one of my letter writers and she and I went over my entire application - she wanted to see what kinds of qualities I was claiming about myself so that she could make sure her letter was consistent and supportive.
 
Awesome. Thanks for the advice! Love the idea of discussing the letter over lunch. :)
 
More letter of rec questions (woo!) So I read elsewhere (I think another thread on here) that it's important to choose your letter writers based on what they can emphasize about your qualities (you don't want 3 letters saying the exact same thing). In an effort to determine if I'm asking the right people, I wrote down some of the specific examples I'm thinking they would each talk about. In doing so, I'm thinking the surgeon and general practitioner are going to be able to attest to similar things (my knowledge of the field, inquisitiveness, etc.) but not others (my academic motivation and ability...). The PI in my lab won't be able to say much to my academic ability either as I've never taken a class with her.

That being said, I do have another potential letter writer (not 100% sure). I took a graduate level philosophy course (Consciousness in the Animal World) last semester that had less than 10 students. It was a lot of discussion/arguing and I spent a fair bit of time talking to the professor outside of class about the logistics of my term paper, which he thought was excellent in the end. Would having this very different perspective (a non-science professor who teaches only grad students) in one of my letters help out? If so, I would have him, my PI, and the surgeon as my letter writers (at least for those schools which only consider 3 letters).

I hope this question is somewhat broad enough to apply to other people trying to find letter writers. I feel so selfish asking so many questions about my specific situation! Thanks again :)
 
I think it would be a great idea asking your grad professor to write a letter! I approached my letters this past year with the same idea of each of them being able to emphasize different aspects of my experiences.
 
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More letter of rec questions (woo!) So I read elsewhere (I think another thread on here) that it's important to choose your letter writers based on what they can emphasize about your qualities (you don't want 3 letters saying the exact same thing). In an effort to determine if I'm asking the right people, I wrote down some of the specific examples I'm thinking they would each talk about. In doing so, I'm thinking the surgeon and general practitioner are going to be able to attest to similar things (my knowledge of the field, inquisitiveness, etc.) but not others (my academic motivation and ability...). The PI in my lab won't be able to say much to my academic ability either as I've never taken a class with her.

That being said, I do have another potential letter writer (not 100% sure). I took a graduate level philosophy course (Consciousness in the Animal World) last semester that had less than 10 students. It was a lot of discussion/arguing and I spent a fair bit of time talking to the professor outside of class about the logistics of my term paper, which he thought was excellent in the end. Would having this very different perspective (a non-science professor who teaches only grad students) in one of my letters help out? If so, I would have him, my PI, and the surgeon as my letter writers (at least for those schools which only consider 3 letters).

I hope this question is somewhat broad enough to apply to other people trying to find letter writers. I feel so selfish asking so many questions about my specific situation! Thanks again :)
I agree with Gwen, and also keep in mind that some schools require or strongly recommend a letter from a professor.
 
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