AMCAS letters of recommendation

[nehuHI]

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1. When letters of rec are submitted through AMCAS, do the recommenders rate you on a numerical scale along with submit a letter about you?

2. What kinds of questions does the recommender have to answer about you?

3. What does the recommender have access to? (Do they have access to your application to look at your essay, grades, and mcat?)

4. Are the questions/points that recommenders have to answer standardized across all AMCAS-letter of rec-participating med schools or does each med school have it's own questions?

Thanks for the help!

 

[nehuHI]

Hi there,
Also, the med school I want to apply to requests letters of rec (through AMCAS) only if you are interviewed. I've heard that the recommenders only get 2 weeks to turn it in which can be difficult to meet. Is there a way I can ask people to submit letters to amcas but hold off on sending those letters to the med school until I hear about whether I got an interview?
Appreciate any help on this. Thanks.

 

[mtnman12]

I've never seen it from the writer's perspective, but I'm pretty sure they just submit (by mail or by creating an online account) a normal letter of recommendation. It is written however the writer chooses to do it, and either scanned or pdf format. I've never heard about specific questions or a rating scale.

Also, you can submit them to AMCAS at any time, and then designate schools. This would be your best option.

 

[WaterBird]

1. When letters of rec are submitted through AMCAS, do the recommenders rate you on a numerical scale along with submit a letter about you?

No, I don't think so, but adcoms like numbers (ie this person was the top 10%)

2. What kinds of questions does the recommender have to answer about you?

It's just a general letter of recommendation. not specific questions. I assume they write as if answering things like "should we take this person? would this person make a good doctor? would this person excel in medical school? etc"

3. What does the recommender have access to? (Do they have access to your application to look at your essay, grades, and mcat?)

No, they have access to whatever you give them. They don't have access to your AMCAS application. I gave my writers my PS, and for the ones who knew my less well, my CV. They might have access to your grades through the school if they are a professor - professors at my schools who are advisors can pull up transcripts.

4. Are the questions/points that recommenders have to answer standardized across all AMCAS-letter of rec-participating med schools or does each med school have it's own questions?

Standard - because it's not questions, it's just a letter.

 

[WaterBird]

Hi there,
Also, the med school I want to apply to requests letters of rec (through AMCAS) only if you are interviewed. I've heard that the recommenders only get 2 weeks to turn it in which can be difficult to meet. Is there a way I can ask people to submit letters to amcas but hold off on sending those letters to the med school until I hear about whether I got an interview?
Appreciate any help on this. Thanks.

This doesn't make sense. AMCAS lets you designate what letters you will receive, and then your letter writers (or, more commonly, interfolio or other letter services) send the letters to them. Schools can download them whenever they want to, if they participate in the AMCAS service. Call the school to confirm this, but I'm guessing you should desiginate them to receive the letters, and they can wait to download them until you are interviewed if they want. Don't make your letter writers do things on short notice - that is poor form.