Adding individual letter after committee letter already received?

[DontTradOnMe]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So AMCAS finally got my committee letter today, and I’m thanking Jeebus. I was also contacted by a professor at the institution where I work about his writing a letter on my behalf. He’s old, emeritus, and well-known in his field (think tier below Nobel). He is a good family friend, but I didn’t ask him for a letter before because we haven’t worked directly together.

1)I know it’s possible to add letters through AMCAS, but is it seen as kosher to add one later without the committee’s involvement?

2) Could this delay my completion at schools where I’ve submitted secondaries? Will they see a letter is missing and wait for it?

Thanks guys.

 

[gyngyn]

Please don't.

 

[mindlight1]

You'd have to check the specific schools' websites, but you should be able to add an additional LOR in most instances. Don't assign this LOR to the schools until you have it; this way, the schools won't be expecting it. This means that your app may be reviewed prior to the LOR coming in. As an aside, I am not sure how much value this LOR will hold because of the lack of personal contact, but I guess it can't hurt.

 

[DontTradOnMe]

Thank you both for the responses. Yeah, it’s a bit of a tricky situation. I don’t want to seem ungrateful to someone who has helped me out a lot over the years, but I also don’t want a letter that will be seen as lame or make me seem entitled. Maybe I could just not add the letter to any schools? Lol

 

[Goro]

So AMCAS finally got my committee letter today, and I’m thanking Jeebus. I was also contacted by a professor at the institution where I work about his writing a letter on my behalf. He’s old, emeritus, and well-known in his field (think tier below Nobel). He is a good family friend, but I didn’t ask him for a letter before because we haven’t worked directly together.

1)I know it’s possible to add letters through AMCAS, but is it seen as kosher to add one later without the committee’s involvement?

2) Could this delay my completion at schools where I’ve submitted secondaries? Will they see a letter is missing and wait for it?

Thanks guys.

There seems to be this mania among premeds that LORs are like bank, the more you have, the better it is. Let's skewer this once and for all.

More is NOT better. Most LORs are mere testimonials, not true evaluations. Your Committee LOR serves as the latter

Many schools have set limits on LORs. Go over that line are you will appear as someone who either can't follow simple directions, or are such a special snowflake that you think the rules don't apply to you.

 

[gyngyn]

Family friends do not write letters of evaluation.
Their support for you is like a mother's love, it may be intense, but it is not objective.

 

[letsgetstarted1234]

So AMCAS finally got my committee letter today, and I’m thanking Jeebus. I was also contacted by a professor at the institution where I work about his writing a letter on my behalf. He’s old, emeritus, and well-known in his field (think tier below Nobel). He is a good family friend, but I didn’t ask him for a letter before because we haven’t worked directly together.

1)I know it’s possible to add letters through AMCAS, but is it seen as kosher to add one later without the committee’s involvement?

2) Could this delay my completion at schools where I’ve submitted secondaries? Will they see a letter is missing and wait for it?

Thanks guys.

did you work for him?

 

[Sagebrush]

Thank you both for the responses. Yeah, it’s a bit of a tricky situation. I don’t want to seem ungrateful to someone who has helped me out a lot over the years, but I also don’t want a letter that will be seen as lame or make me seem entitled. Maybe I could just not add the letter to any schools? Lol

If you're worried about offending the professor by refusing the letter, ask him to upload it to Interfolio and then simply don't send it to AMCAS.

 

[DontTradOnMe]

did you work for him?

No, he runs a separate lab. I did some unrelated work for him years ago but nothing worth writing about. He knows my boss and is familiar with my work, so it's not quite just "family friend", but there's a reason I didn't ask him for a letter. I was curious whether adding his letter could be perceived negatively and that seems to be the case unfortunately!

I think some of these old schools scientists/doctors don't understand the modern system that well. In their days, having someone vouch for you might have been enough.

If you're worried about offending the professor by refusing the letter, ask him to upload it to Interfolio and then simply don't send it to AMCAS.

If I uploaded it to AMCAS but didn't assign it to any schools, would that work as well?

 

[Sagebrush]

No, he runs a separate lab. I did some unrelated work for him years ago but nothing worth writing about. He knows my boss and is familiar with my work, so it's not quite just "family friend", but there's a reason I didn't ask him for a letter. I was curious whether adding his letter could be perceived negatively and that seems to be the case unfortunately!

I think some of these old schools scientists/doctors don't understand the modern system that well. In their days, having someone vouch for you might have been enough.



If I uploaded it to AMCAS but didn't assign it to any schools, would that work as well?

I think it would work, but personally I would just use Interfolio to be absolutely sure I didn't wind up accidentally sending it to schools (and to help eliminate temptation...)

 

[Goro]

So AMCAS finally got my committee letter today, and I’m thanking Jeebus. I was also contacted by a professor at the institution where I work about his writing a letter on my behalf. He’s old, emeritus, and well-known in his field (think tier below Nobel). He is a good family friend, but I didn’t ask him for a letter before because we haven’t worked directly together.

1)I know it’s possible to add letters through AMCAS, but is it seen as kosher to add one later without the committee’s involvement?

2) Could this delay my completion at schools where I’ve submitted secondaries? Will they see a letter is missing and wait for it?

Thanks guys.

Just because he's well known in HIS field, that doesn't mean that people outside his field knows who he is. And I've seen LORs from US Senators and actual Nobel laureates. They don't help.

 

[gyngyn]

I think some of these old schools scientists/doctors don't understand the modern system that well. In their days, having someone vouch for you might have been enough.

This type of support can still have an effect in residency applications, but usually it is a strategically placed phone call...

 

[letsgetstarted1234]

This type of support can still have an effect in residency applications, but usually it is a strategically placed phone call...

Don't mean to hijack but do you have any recommendations if you worked for someone well known in a field but they're retiring soon?

Iv been told the same thing that my experiences with him would help more with residency, but I dont know what i'd do if he retired (or god forbid passed).

 

[gyngyn]

Don't mean to hijack but do you have any recommendations if you worked for someone well known in a field but they're retiring soon?

Iv been told the same thing that my experiences with him would help more with residency, but I dont know what i'd do if he retired (or god forbid passed).

I don't. A living patriarch is formidable. A dead one...