AMCAS Letter System vs Interfolio

[CdnHopeful]

Hey guys, just wondering which is the best way to submit.

Here is my understanding of the scenario:

Interfolio: I tell my referees to email their letters to Interfolio and then use Interfolio to deliver the letters electronically to AMCAS, once ALL my referees have submitted their letters to Interfolio.

AMCAS Letters: I tell my referees to create an AMCAS Letter account and upload a pdf version of their letter there (and have the letter id/my AAMC letter with it).

My question is: why not just use the AMCAS Letter system instead of Interfolio if the referee has to upload letters anyways? Is there ANY advantage to using either system (considering I am only applying for schools which use the AMCAS Letter system).

Is there something I'm misunderstanding?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[wt45]

some schools aren't participating in AMCAS. all schools will accept interfolio (electronic and/or snail mail submissions). check to see if all of the schools to which you're applying accept AMCAS--if they do, go with that route.

 

[Bacchus]

If any school that you're applying to uses the AMCAS system then all letters must be submitted to that school via the AMCAS system. Since you indicate that perhaps every school you've picked uses the system, then you must send copies of the letters to AMCAS with the appropriate cover sheet that can be printed from the AMCAS application. You may also be able to have writers upload letters to AMCAS, but based on my knowledge from applying last year, that was not an option.

 

[tiedyeddog]

AMCAS won't let you save letters for next year. Interfolio will (if you pay for the 2+ year account...)

I am using interfolio because there is a good chance I won't get an acceptance this cycle. Some of my letters won't need to be updated when I reapply so it's easier to just use interfolio.

You can have your writers write the letters on interfolio and then you send the letters to AMCAS. Updates in 15 days or less, or so the website says......

 

[flip26]

some schools aren't participating in AMCAS. all schools will accept interfolio (electronic and/or snail mail submissions). check to see if all of the schools to which you're applying accept AMCAS--if they do, go with that route.

Not exactly. AMCAS service schools will not accept Interfolio - they will only accept letters from the AMCAS service. And this year, only a handful of schools are not using the AMCAS service.

Interfolio still makes sense in the AMCAS only world that is coming because you can't currently open an AMCAS account until early May, so for letters that you obtain prior to that, you can still use Interfolio to "hold" them until you need to ship them over to AMCAS.

 

[CdnHopeful]

AMCAS won't let you save letters for next year. Interfolio will (if you pay for the 2+ year account...)

I am using interfolio because there is a good chance I won't get an acceptance this cycle. Some of my letters won't need to be updated when I reapply so it's easier to just use interfolio.

You can have your writers write the letters on interfolio and then you send the letters to AMCAS. Updates in 15 days or less, or so the website says......

If the Interfolio process takes 15 days....does using AMCAS letters service update it instantly, since your referees upload it directly to AMCAS???

 

[locus000]

I use Interfolio and I tell all my friends to use it because ALL of my Professors know about this so its a good place to hold the letters months ahead of time.

 

[Bacchus]

If the Interfolio process takes 15 days....does using AMCAS letters service update it instantly, since your referees upload it directly to AMCAS???

It doesn't matter. If the school participates in AMCAS letter services, you must use it. If you use Interfolio for these schools you are not following protocol. Get those letters sent in ASAP.

Edit: You can send letters through the mail, Interfolio, VirtualEvals, or by uploading them to AMCAS (the writer).

If you are applying to schools not on this list:

Albany Medical College
Duke University School of Medicine
LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans
LSU School of Medicine-Shreveport
Oregon Health and Science University
Ponce School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program Biomedical Sciences
Uniformed Services University of the Health Science
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
University of Utah School of Medicine
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Washington University School of Medicine

you must have the letter sent to AMCAS.

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/amcasletters.htm

 

[tiedyeddog]

If the Interfolio process takes 15 days....does using AMCAS letters service update it instantly, since your referees upload it directly to AMCAS???

The interfolio process COULD take up to 15 days, as I understood it. I think it is a maximum of 15 but is often under that.

I would guess if you used the AMCAS letter service it would update instanteously. If time is going to be an issue I would advise you to use the letters service and avoid having interfolio send the letters to AMCAS.

 

[mvenus929]

I like interfolio for several reasons. I'm a bit biased, though, because I bought my account a few years ago, before AMCAS came out with its letter service. But, it's an easy way to hold onto the letters, especially if you get them before May or don't get accepted. Plus, all my professors were pretty familiar with interfolio, so I found it easier just to stick with it, and I felt that I had more control of my letters, rather than potentially losing them because AMCAS had them. Plus, you have them in case you do apply to a school that doesn't use the AMCAS letter service.

 

[NeuroChaos]

I am a bit confused; I am trying to avoid making a new thread;
Is communcation possible b/w AMCAS Letter System and Interfolio:

Boston university says:
BUSM applicants must send all letters of recommendation, Health Professions Advisor or Advisory Committee letters, directly to AMCAS which will forward the letters to our office electronically. AMCAS will accept letters from users of Virtual Evals, Interfolio, and via the US Postal System.


The committee at my school uses Interfolio. Can they send letters to AMCAS and AMCAS forwards them to the school. Bascially, How do the letters get sent to schools not participating in Interfolio.

 

[buffywannabe]

if your letters are in interfolio, you just send them to AMCAS. It is an email submission so it costs like $3 to have all of your letters sent. You must put in who your letters will be from on amcas first to get the letter numbers. then you put those letter numbers on interfolio before you send to amcas. amcas receives the letters the very next day. This way you have the letters for future reference, say you want to apply to a masters that accepts medical school letters or need to reapply. It is easy for letter writers and easy for you.

 

[NeuroChaos]

if your letters are in interfolio, you just send them to AMCAS. It is an email submission so it costs like $3 to have all of your letters sent. You must put in who your letters will be from on amcas first to get the letter numbers. then you put those letter numbers on interfolio before you send to amcas. amcas receives the letters the very next day. This way you have the letters for future reference, say you want to apply to a masters that accepts medical school letters or need to reapply. It is easy for letter writers and easy for you.

Okey got it; So there is a way to send letters from interfolio to AMCAS. Thanks!!

 

[autodf06]

I would suggest using Interfolio, like everyone else has said they can store letters for years if necessary. I would suggest getting all your letters together on Interfolio before sending them to AMCAS because it costs $4 to send them to AMCAS whether you send ten or one. You will still need to create a letter on AMCAS and then you give Interfolio the AMCAS letter number, your AMCAS ID number, and $4 and they take care of the rest. All of mine either got to AMCAS the same day (if I sent it in before 9 AM or so) or by the next afternoon.

 

[Mike Lovell]

Hi guys,

My name is Mike Lovell, a current member of Interfolio's staff. I would like to take some time here to alleviate your concerns and clarify our relationship with AMCAS.

For those concerned about their Interfolio account expiring, and thus losing all of their aggregated documents, rest easy. A great thing about Interfolio is that when your account expires, you still have 5 years to renew your file before you lose all of your stored documents. Your letters will remain on our servers during this time, so that you can renew over the next five years.

In regards to processing your letters of recommendation into your Interfolio account, please note that it currently takes 1-3 days to upload documents, once they arrive via standard mail to our office in Washington, D.C.

Pricing currently is $4 per electronic delivery to AMCAS, and deliveries completed by 2 pm Eastern will be delivered electronically the same business day. If electronic delivery is not an option for you, please note that we have many other ways to send out your documents. View this list for reference: http://www.interfolio.com/demo/pricing.cfm

I am also available to talk more directly about this over the phone, so please do not hesitate to contact me at my direct line, 202.223.3358x207.

I'll be checking in on these forums from time to time, and look forward to conversing with you guys and answering all your questions.

Cheers,
Mike