BIG mistake, extremely worried :(

[rl24]

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I filled in my application while I was studying for the DAT, and tried my best and researched schools I wanted. The one thing I did not look at is the recommendation letters. I assumed that my two science letters and one letter from a dentist would be enough. I applied to 11 schools and now I have found out that 6 of the schools I applied to have different recommendation letter requirements than what I have 🙁 one requires a physics professor's letter, one requires 4 letters, and a couple require a committee letter. I talked to my advisor last year and she said dental schools don't require a committee letter so I opted for individual letters since I thought my professors would write better letters than my advisor since they really seemed to think highly of me. So here I am over $1000 later, with just 5 schools left 🙁 I have still been sending in secondary applications for the schools that I don't have enough letter, but now I am thinking should I even bother? Am I just wasting more money and time? Will these schools even look at my file? 🙁

 

[Illfavor]

What does it say to a school when you are supposedly interested in attending but don't take enough time to actually view their admissions requirements? I think you're screwed without the letters and I'd try to get them. Even if you do, you have to contact the schools to admit the mistake since I don't believe you can add letters on your AADSAS at this point. I could be wrong there.

 

[Sublimazing]

Probably worth contacting each school and telling them you were confused by the system and asking if you can mail them the needed letters of recommendation. The schools you wanted most or had the best shot would be the ones I focused on. Pretty big mistake.

Tough spot to be in. I hope you can remedy in time.

 

[rl24]

I know its a terrible mistake. I don't know how I would get another letter so late, professors take at least. And I think your right about not being able to post any more letters on AADSAS. I would have to call the schools and send in extra letters, which would look terrible. Its already so late in the game. Should I just not apply to these schools? Just work with the 5 I have already applied to?

 

[Illfavor]

I know its a terrible mistake. I don't know how I would get another letter so late, professors take at least. And I think your right about not being able to post any more letters on AADSAS. I would have to call the schools and send in extra letters, which would look terrible. Its already so late in the game. Should I just not apply to these schools? Just work with the 5 I have already applied to?

It's really not that much work to find the appropriate professors, call the schools and do what you need to to try and fix this.

 

[rl24]

Probably worth contacting each school and telling them you were confused by the system and asking if you can mail them the needed letters of recommendation. The schools you wanted most or had the best shot would be the ones I focused on. Pretty big mistake.

Tough spot to be in. I hope you can remedy in time.

Thankfully, the schools that were my top choices are fine. I met their requirements. The schools I am having trouble with are not ones I would attend if I got accepted into one of the other schools. If I call the schools and tell them about my mistake, will they actually listen? Would it even be worth it to send in my letters now since my application will probably be complete in October than?

 

[rl24]

I am not worried about the work. I am worried about how late is and how bad this will look, and about spending another $500 on schools that will reject me.

 

[Koalafied]

I filled in my application while I was studying for the DAT, and tried my best and researched schools I wanted. The one thing I did not look at is the recommendation letters. I assumed that my two science letters and one letter from a dentist would be enough. I applied to 11 schools and now I have found out that 6 of the schools I applied to have different recommendation letter requirements than what I have 🙁 one requires a physics professor's letter, one requires 4 letters, and a couple require a committee letter. I talked to my advisor last year and she said dental schools don't require a committee letter so I opted for individual letters since I thought my professors would write better letters than my advisor since they really seemed to think highly of me. So here I am over $1000 later, with just 5 schools left 🙁 I have still been sending in secondary applications for the schools that I don't have enough letter, but now I am thinking should I even bother? Am I just wasting more money and time? Will these schools even look at my file? 🙁

 

[Andrew Michael]

My letters of recommendation do not match the requirements for one of the schools I applied to and I received an interview from them. Based on that then yes I would still submit the secondaries.

 

[Xo1991]

What does it say to a school when you are supposedly interested in attending but don't take enough time to actually view their admissions requirements? I think you're screwed without the letters and I'd try to get them. Even if you do, you have to contact the schools to admit the mistake since I don't believe you can add letters on your AADSAS at this point. I could be wrong there.

correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your wrong about your last statement? After you e-submit, you can certainly add letters of recommendations later on (that's what I'm doing). It's just that the letters will be a little bit late.

Right...?

 

[Koalafied]

I thought this thread may be relevant: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=1017509.

correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your wrong about your last statement? After you e-submit, you can certainly add letters of recommendations later on (that's what I'm doing). It's just that the letters will be a little bit late.

Right...?

Depends, but only if you have spare slot(s) leftover.

 

[amfassz]

If you sent 2 science and 1 dentist letter, you still have room to add one more, do it ASAP.

 

[uzeone]

The application service only allows you to send 4 letters maximum. So that being said, you cant possibly meet every school requirement with just 4 letters. Contact each of the schools and explain that you could only upload 4 letters and did not know what what letters were missing. And that you will have the missing letters sent to them. From my understanding, a lot of schools allow you to have the professor email the letter directly from your professor.

Good Luck.

 

[dentalbadger]

I am marquette dental school now but back when i was applying there were a few schools where a similar thing happened to me. I was wondering why my applications were saying they were not complete in mid september after already being invited to interview at other schools and so i called and got the information that a few of the schools did not accept my research professor as a science letter. So i contacted my advisor who i had also had for a few Neurobiology classes at UW Madison and he wrote me up a letter in just a few days. i submitted that and had interview invite emails at two of the schools about a day or two later. I really dont think its a huge deal as long as you get a new letter sent in to the schools ASAP. They understand for the most part that the LOR process is a pain.

Good Luck!

 

[sacapuntas]

I don't claim to know specifics of how this will affect you, but on a positive note I received interviews from schools last cycle that I didn't fit their LOR requirements to the T. If you have the stats and experiences to back your application up, along with a few good LORs, you may find that certain schools overlook some 'shortcomings' of your app.

 

[Member90817548]

I had a friend who had different letter requirements for all the schools she was applying to and she just had her professors mail the letter directly to the school and she also called the school and told them which letter needed to be ignored from the ones submitted in aadsas. Granted this was a couple years ago... So idk if that would still work or not once you have the letters you need.