Any adcoms on here? Question about committee letter

[notEinstein]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How important is a committee letter?

I am a non-trad career changer (36 yo) who went back to school for pre-reqs. However, the students at my undergrad warned me that our pre-health committee is BRUTAL:

1) They refuse to use interfolio. They physically MAIL all the committee letters to the schools you tell them. Plenty of “lost in the mail” stories.

2) They typically mail them in mid to late AUGUST. Which, I know is technically fine - but eh.

With this in mind, i’m wondering if it’s better to just submit my own LOR’s to AMCAS via Interfolio. Aka, ask my science prof’s to submit a LOR to Interfolio and I just submit them on time in June.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

How important is a committee letter?

I am a non-trad career changer (36 yo) who went back to school for pre-reqs. However, the students at my undergrad warned me that our pre-health committee is BRUTAL:

1) They refuse to use interfolio. They physically MAIL all the committee letters to the schools you tell them. Plenty of “lost in the mail” stories.

2) They typically mail them in mid to late AUGUST. Which, I know is technically fine - but eh.

With this in mind, i’m wondering if it’s better to just submit my own LOR’s to AMCAS via Interfolio. Aka, ask my science prof’s to submit a LOR to Interfolio and I just submit them on time in June.

Look at our Member Benefits and sign up for Private Folio if you want to control your own letter packet. We're a bit cheaper than Interfolio. There is a discount code.

I am not completely following if you are asking for a committee letter from YOUR undergrad program or where you are taking postbac courses. At any case, a committee letter for non-trads is not common unless you are in a formal postbac program that offers a program/committee letter service. The majority of applicants however do not have committee letters. (I also don't know if you are eligible as an alumnus for their committee letter based on what you are saying. You could check.)

 

[notEinstein]

Look at our Member Benefits and sign up for Private Folio if you want to control your own letter packet. We're a bit cheaper than Interfolio. There is a discount code.

I am not completely following if you are asking for a committee letter from YOUR undergrad program or where you are taking postbac courses. At any case, a committee letter for non-trads is not common unless you are in a formal postbac program that offers a program/committee letter service. The majority of applicants however do not have committee letters. (I also don't know if you are eligible as an alumnus for their committee letter based on what you are saying. You could check.)

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

I would be asking for a committee letter from where I am taking my post-bacc classes. I never took any sciences before this. I have a 3.98 but I have only taken the sciences here - nothing else.

Most relevant - I am nervous after being warned by several other students (one being a student on the board of the prehealth committee) about the antiquated process the school undergoes.

I assume privatefolio is the same type of service as interfolio? I would be happy to support the website and use private folio.

 

[LizzyM]

The timing of the letters is fine but the snail mail is archaic!! If this is a big name post-bac program, and a feeder to medical schools, the adcoms may know the writers and highly value their letters and expect them. Otherwise, you can forego the committee letter and go with a letter service.

 

[Hollow Knight]

My school couldn’t care less about committee letters. But I am a sample size of 1.

Maybe read the website of your top choices and see if they have a preference?

 

[notEinstein]

The timing of the letters is fine but the snail mail is archaic!!

Agreed!!! Very frustrating.

If this is a big name post-bac program,

It’s not :/

It’s an undergrad with a very well known pharmacy school, but that’s about it.

 

[notEinstein]

My school couldn’t care less about committee letters. But I am a sample size of 1.

Maybe read the website of your top choices and see if they have a preference?

I have. Almost all of them say some combination of we prefer a committee letter but if you’re a non-trad we understand, yada yada yada…

I guess i’m not sure if that’s just word soup written by an intern or actual truth.

 

[LizzyM]

Mostly by "non-trad" they mean that if you graduated college 5+ years ago, they would not expect a committee letter from your undergrad institution as you left years ago. You are in a bit different situation given that you have taken pre-med courses very recently and that school offers a committee letter. However, if it isn't one of the "big ones" (Columbia, Mills,& Swarthmore come to mind) it is unlikely to raise eyebrows among adcom members.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I guess i’m not sure if that’s just word soup written by an intern or actual truth.

The last time we had interns in my admissions office...