Baylor College of Medicine LoR Requirements

[InquisitiveOtter]

I took two gap years before applying this cycle, and I just read on Baylor's website that: "All letters must be current from the calendar year preceding proposed enrollment."

Are there any current medical students either from Baylor or wherever that applied before that know how strict this rule is or have gotten interviews/admission without letters from the current calendar year? I used a letter writing service and my letters are from last calendar year...

Source: Admissions Process

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pharaoh95]

I asked about this in the school-specific thread and no one replied. Curious to know as well.

 

[_NM_]

I would contact the school directly. Sometimes they are able to make exceptions.

 

[InquisitiveOtter]

Did you search any further on the Baylor website

Admissions Process

If you are no longer an undergraduate student, alternate recommendation methods include:

• If you are attending graduate school, one of your evaluations must be from a graduate advisor or major professor.
• If you are attending graduate school but have no graduate advisor or major professor, one of your evaluations must be from the chairperson of your major department.
• If you have not attended a college or university for one year or more, and you are currently employed or in military service, one of your evaluations must be from your immediate supervisor (if self-employed, an evaluation from a business associate).

And if you read any further from the section you quoted:

"The second and third evaluations must be from current or former professors. All evaluations must be current from the calendar year preceding proposed enrollment." That doesn't answer my original question.

@_NM_ I'll likely do that and update the thread.

 

[InquisitiveOtter]

Its not that the course needs to be in the last year; its the evaluations that have to be in the last year as in contacting the professors now for an updated letter of how you did in those past undergraduate courses

Thanks, I understood that the evaluations not the courses needed to be from last year, though I was wondering how strict they were on that policy especially if letters were just one year older, which should not really make a difference.

Also for anyone else, confirmed by calling Baylor's admissions office, they want letters from the previous years no exceptions, I didn't ask what would happen if they reviewed an app that had a letter from two years ago. I think the policy is just ridiculous, forcing students to ask professors again just for a re-date especially if the letter is just one year older than the requirement.

 

[Pharaoh95]

Thanks, I understood that the evaluations not the courses needed to be from last year, though I was wondering how strict they were on that policy especially if letters were just one year older, which should not really make a difference.

Also for anyone else, confirmed by calling Baylor's admissions office, they want letters from the previous years no exceptions, I didn't ask what would happen if they reviewed an app that had a letter from two years ago. I think the policy is just ridiculous, forcing students to ask professors again just for a re-date especially if the letter is just one year older than the requirement.

Well I guess I'm not applying here. Bummer.

 

[wizzed101]

Thanks, I understood that the evaluations not the courses needed to be from last year, though I was wondering how strict they were on that policy especially if letters were just one year older, which should not really make a difference.

Also for anyone else, confirmed by calling Baylor's admissions office, they want letters from the previous years no exceptions, I didn't ask what would happen if they reviewed an app that had a letter from two years ago. I think the policy is just ridiculous, forcing students to ask professors again just for a re-date especially if the letter is just one year older than the requirement.

I came there in person and the people in admissions looked at me as if I was a cockroach when I dared to utter the words "Letter of recommendation." After being extremely nice while suffering not-so-subtle emotional abuse, I finally pried from their mouths the mystery of the LORs requirement:

Their adcoms will have to read it. They will notice the date. Heck, you can even add more than 4 letters they will have to read it all. So my take is that if they are not tools, they should realize as long as the letters are not like 3 years old, they should still be valid.
I mean according to their rules, the LORs have to be written in 2017 (?) so they want your letters to be around 7(?) month old by the time they are read. What?

 

[aa1317]

Just clarifying here: I am sending a committee packet from my college for the letter of recommendation. The committee packet is recent, but it also contains separate letters from Spring 2016. Are those letters too old?

 

[DBC03]

Just clarifying here: I am sending a committee packet from my college for the letter of recommendation. The committee packet is recent, but it also contains separate letters from Spring 2016. Are those letters too old?

I honestly can't get a feel for whether they even take packets. I have searched everywhere on their site and only seen information on proper committee letters. I'll call on Monday. My fear is that if I become a reapplicant, there's a very good chance that one of my letter writers may not be around (he's really old). I have a very important letter from him as he was my thesis advisor and I know they would want that. I'd likely just nix them from the list.

I'll call about letter packets on Monday and get back to everyone.