committee letter or 3 letters of recommendation?

[misterfantastic]

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I just got a letter from the university of oklahoma. they want me to send them either a committee letter or 3 letters of recommendation. my school doesn't start writing committee letters until late august when school starts again. Would it be better for me to wait ffor the committee letter or just send in the 3 letters of recommendation that i already have now?

 

[Gradient Echo]

I say send in the committee letter. I dont know how OU feels about it, but some schools will frown upon you not using the official premed committee letter.

 

[Dr JPH]

I say go for the committee letter.

It offers the opinions of more people and they usually sound better.

A professor may look highly upon your but is a terrible writer. At least with a committee letter, you can get the same emphasis with better wording.

Good luck to you.

 

[PunkRockDoc]

I'd recommend going with the committee letter. I didn't use a committee letter from my school, and I think that it hurt me in the long run. I still got in , but I feel I would have recieved more interviews had I used the committee. Some schools were also confused by my LORs, not realizing which ones were from professors and which were from my managers (I've been working full time for the last 2 years).

 

[none]

Use the Committee letter! Most schools require it and for good reason, it saves them time and saving them time makes them happy! You want a happy adcom, don't you?

 

[misterfantastic]

so are all of you saying that it is better to wait 2 months for the committee letter rather then just sending in the 3 lor's that i already have? thanks for you input

 

[conure]

This is a tough question. I think I'm realy stuck on why your school doesn't start writting committee letters until august, it seems they would be doing this, like most premed advisors, over the spring and summer. Regardless your in a tough spot.

God what to do! Is timing more important than the composite letter? I think maybe the composite is more crucial. At worst your secodary is complete in middle to late september and thats not to bad. I say wait for the committee.

 

[mws99]

You should check with the med school you are applying to and see when they are interviewing. If they don't start until September anyway, what do you have to lose by waiting till August to send in the letter?

 

[kam730]

....and what if your school doesn't do committee letters? Are adcoms going to really look that negatively on just sending in the letters? That would be quite unfair to the many people who, like me, do not have a pre-med committee working for them. Is anyone else in this situation, and if so, what are you gonna do?

 

[jot]

its not a problem if you don't have access to a committee letter - if your school doesn't have one - but if you do, then they expect to see it. it looks odd if you don't send it in (according to what i've heard - hah - whatever that means). but waiting 2 months - ouch - i would send your 3 lors in and then update your file with the committee letter. goodluck.

 

[FrankMD]

I applied last year and my school didn't have committee letters. I don't think the medschools look negatively on your application if your school doesn't have a committee and you just send them individual letters. If your school doesn't have a committee, don't worry and just send your letters. Good luck.