Are each schools really that specific about LOR?

[XCourtSmash]

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So I've noticed that each school I'm applying to is literally asking for different requirements for their LOR. Some want 2 science 1 non-science, some just want 3 faculty. Some want 2 science 1 volunteer, some want 3 science, some want only teachers you've had for classes and some want just any faculty member.

I'm am confused to say the least. My advisor recommended sending a letter packet from my school and that I should pick 6 letters. However most schools say online that they have a 3 min 5 max limit on LOR.

Anyone with former experience can help me out here? Are schools super strict about this? I don't want to be the guy that doesn't get looked at because he can't read simple instructions on their website and say sent in too many letters. I'm just not sure how to make a letter packet that will include all these different requirements and still have my extra letters like from a family physician, a surgeon, my volunteer work in it.

 

[RedSox10]

So I've noticed that each school I'm applying to is literally asking for different requirements for their LOR. Some want 2 science 1 non-science, some just want 3 faculty. Some want 2 science 1 volunteer, some want 3 science, some want only teachers you've had for classes and some want just any faculty member.

I'm am confused to say the least. My advisor recommended sending a letter packet from my school and that I should pick 6 letters. However most schools say online that they have a 3 min 5 max limit on LOR.

Anyone with former experience can help me out here? Are schools super strict about this? I don't want to be the guy that doesn't get looked at because he can't read simple instructions on their website and say sent in too many letters. I'm just not sure how to make a letter packet that will include all these different requirements and still have my extra letters like from a family physician, a surgeon, my volunteer work in it.

If your school offers a committee letter (ie a "letter packet") you really need to use that. I know that Adcoms frown upon people who send separate letters if their school offers the option of a committee letter. People who dont use a committee letter usually do so because the school has taken disciplinary action against them/they are on bad terms with the school/ they did a post-bac and dont have a committee letter. As for the number of letters, don't worry. Schools say 3-5 max if you are sending individual letters but you can have 6 or more if you are are doing a committee letter (this will be a multiple page letter written by your advisory team incorporating quotes and highlights from your other letters). I personally had 6 letters sent to my committee and they wrote up the committee letter and this was never an issue.

 

[XCourtSmash]

My school doesn't have a committee. I asked and he said we didn't have enough funding for a program like that... Hope that doesn't mean I'm screwed. Should I mention that somewhere in my application or will they know?

I would like to use all my letters. I have 2 science, 1 from an emergency training class (non-science but had lots of patient interactions), 1 from my PI, 1 from a major volunteer organization, and 2 doctors. I was gonna drop 1 of the doctors out since 6 is the max my school will include in their packet.

Edit: They do have a letter packet program, but they don't have a committee program. Letters are basically assembled at the advising office, you choose which one you want in the packet and the school sends them off.

 

[Dan1804]

My school didn't have a "committee" either, but my pre-med advisor wrote me a letter after reading all my other LORs--three science, one humanities, three doctors I worked with--and getting to know me over the time I took my pre-reqs. His letter worked for me. There is a section in most secondaries where you are asked to explain why you don't have "committee letter" from your school.

 

[boshtrich]

My school doesn't have a committee. I asked and he said we didn't have enough funding for a program like that... Hope that doesn't mean I'm screwed. Should I mention that somewhere in my application or will they know?

I would like to use all my letters. I have 2 science, 1 from an emergency training class (non-science but had lots of patient interactions), 1 from my PI, 1 from a major volunteer organization, and 2 doctors. I was gonna drop 1 of the doctors out since 6 is the max my school will include in their packet.

Edit: They do have a letter packet program, but they don't have a committee program. Letters are basically assembled at the advising office, you choose which one you want in the packet and the school sends them off.

I think most schools will consider the packet as one letter (though I could be wrong) and you can add additional letters if you need to to meet requirements. So you could have a letter packet consisting of 2 science LORs and 1 non-science LOR and send that to every school, then send one additional science LOR to any schools that require 3, or add the physician letter you left out of the packet as an additional letter. If all else fails, you can just submit all the letters as individual letters to AMCAS and then specify which letters get sent to which school.