Apply earlier with no comittee letter or later with comittee letter?

[Postal]

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Hi, I apologize if this has been asked before. Feel free to move this to the appropriate thread if necessary. I have the chance to get a committee letter but it may come in the fall. My stats aren't terrific so I wanted to apply during the summer to maximize my chances. I've been collecting letters on Interfolio and plan to get some more this semester. So far I have 1 D.O./volunteer Letter, 1 letter from science faculty, and 1 letter from employer. I plan to get two more faculty this semester. I'm afraid the commitee letter will come later fall and make me a much later applicant. Should I just forget the committee letter and apply earlier with Interfolio as soon as I get my remaining letters?
Stats:
3.29. sGPA
3.4 cGPA
Need to take MCATS

 

[ncguy2005]

Hi, I apologize if this has been asked before. Feel free to move this to the appropriate thread if necessary. I have the chance to get a committee letter but it may come in the fall. My stats aren't terrific so I wanted to apply during the summer to maximize my chances. I've been collecting letters on Interfolio and plan to get some more this semester. So far I have 1 D.O./volunteer Letter, 1 letter from science faculty, and 1 letter from employer. I plan to get two more faculty this semester. I'm afraid the commitee letter will come later fall and make me a much later applicant. Should I just forget the committee letter and apply earlier with Interfolio as soon as I get my remaining letters?
Stats:
3.29. sGPA
3.4 cGPA
Need to take MCATS

I think medical schools will want to know why you didn't use your committee if you had one. Personally, I would wait. I think its a stronger letter than individual ones because its reviewed by other faculty members who can provide further evaluation of your application.

I didn't submit until October and came out okay, so I wouldn't worry too much. Submit your application in June or whenever, let them go ahead and process it, and then know that it won't be absolutely complete until the end of the summer.

Also, really push yourself to do well on the MCAT. Your gpa's aren't that bad, but I think its a little lower than most US med schools. Good luck.

 

[Daedra22]

The committee letter is probably a good idea if you can get it. I had a bunch of really great LOR's, but the pre-health office at my university is pretty awful, so I thought I could just go it alone... I applied to DO schools and did fine, but none of the MD schools I applied to responded, despite the fact that I might have had a shot with my numbers. I don't know if it was the committee letter that kept me out, but it may have been a factor. Not disappointed with what happened, but if you want the best chance possible... try to get the letter.

 

[fitz0809]

I say go for it early...

1. You may get in early.
2. You have a chance to update with much improvement after the fall semester or if you get wait listed.


3. You could do half and half....

 

[JRjcu08]

I say go for it before the committee letter is ready. Sometimes it takes AACOMAS 8-10 weeks before they even verify your application, so if you wait to submit until the fall, you will be waiting for your primary to verify for a while.

Some secondaries even ask you to list the names of the letters that you'll be sending, so you can indicate that a committee letter would be coming in the future.

 

[Nicbmann]

My school offers a committee letter and I chose to apply without it because I didn't want to wait 2-3 months for them to write the letter and I didn't like the way process you had to jump through to get one. I don't think I was effected one bit by not having it. I was never questioned about why I chose to apply without one anyway. Just make sure you do have letters of rec from science faculty and such and you should be fine in my biased opinion.

 

[Postal]

Thanks guys. I'm still not sure what to do but I'm guessing my best bet is to submit my primary application and have that complete as soon as possible. I was planning on taking the MCAT in June , since that would be the time that I think I'll totally be ready.As I understand the process, it takes AACOMAS like two months to process. So I'll submit in June, update with MCAT score in July, AACOMAS verifies by August. Correct me if I'm wrong but you send in your committee letter with your secondaries, right? So I get secondaries and then pray my committee letter is ready and/or work on secondaries and hope committee letter is ready really soon and/or submit via interfolio. I just feel like the schools in the area are familiar with my pre-health committee people and that "connection" might give me a boost. However, I'm not sure if I'm imagining that such a "connection" exists....lol

 

[gocatgo]

Thanks guys. I'm still not sure what to do but I'm guessing my best bet is to submit my primary application and have that complete as soon as possible. I was planning on taking the MCAT in June , since that would be the time that I think I'll totally be ready.As I understand the process, it takes AACOMAS like two months to process. So I'll submit in June, update with MCAT score in July, AACOMAS verifies by August. Correct me if I'm wrong but you send in your committee letter with your secondaries, right?

Yes, applicants submit committee letters/individual LORs after receiving and completing the secondaries.
Your plan sounds good! Like others mentioned, AACOMAS takes approx. 2 months to process, (a nerve-wracking wait if you are late in the game) and it's a good idea to get your primary app processed ASAP. Best of luck to you.