Confused about application process/LORs

[airca12]

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I just found out my pre-health committee will not get my letter out until late August.

I really really need to apply early, and I even planned on getting secondaries returned as quickly as possible.

Now the application process has become confusing to me. Am I not considered "complete" at schools until they get my LORs?

For people who applied early, when were you complete at most schools?

Does late August seem kinda late for schools to get letters? I really don't know..

The obvious solution would be to skip the committee process and handle the LORs on my own, but then I have to explain at every school why I didn't partake in the committee process. Does this look bad?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[LifeTake2]

I've never heard of a school taking that long, I'd talk to your advisor and see if they can do anything.

Yes, schools will not consider you complete w/o your LOR's; which mean you will be a good bit behind the 'early' candidates. Though not so late to keep you from getting in my any means.

🙁

 

[drimpossible]

I know that Columbia doesn't send out their LORs until September, and their post-baccs do pretty well with their applications. I assume ad-coms know Columbia's scheduling though and take it into consideration. Perhaps your school is a similar deal?

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

Not ideal, but a big problem either...

Before you submit your AMCAS application, use the system to indicate which schools you want to apply to. Also indicate what letters of recommendation you expect and which schools are supposed to receive which letters. You have to do this before letters get uploaded anyway.

Once you've done all that, you can submit your AMCAS application without ANY letters of recommendation. Do that as soon as you can after they open it up (early June). Hitting "submit" just gets the AMCAS people working on your transcripts.

As long as you've told AMCAS that you are submitting a LOR from your pre-med committee, and you've designated this letter to go to schools X, Y, and Z, then those schools will know to expect the LOR.

 

[airca12]

Thanks for the input.

I guess I just have to decide if I should skip the committee process in favor of getting my app complete sooner.

 

[CougarMD]

Thanks for the input.

I guess I just have to decide if I should skip the committee process in favor of getting my app complete sooner.

In general, you don't want to skip the committee. If you do, schools will question why you did, and you need to have a really good reason.

The best rule of thumb is, if you can get a committee letter, do.

It is true that you won't be complete at the school until it arrives. But that does NOT stop you from doing everything else.

You can still be "complete" with AMCAS
You will still get secondaries
You can still send in the secondaries
All they will wait for is the letter. And don't wait to complete the secondaries until the letter comes in...do it ASAP. That way, when your letters get there, you will be considered immediately.

Honestly...August is not that big of a deal. You will be dealing with secondaries until AT LEAST late July anyway. Truly.

 

[airca12]

In general, you don't want to skip the committee. If you do, schools will question why you did, and you need to have a really good reason.

The best rule of thumb is, if you can get a committee letter, do.

It is true that you won't be complete at the school until it arrives. But that does NOT stop you from doing everything else.

You can still be "complete" with AMCAS
You will still get secondaries
You can still send in the secondaries
All they will wait for is the letter. And don't wait to complete the secondaries until the letter comes in...do it ASAP. That way, when your letters get there, you will be considered immediately.

Honestly...August is not that big of a deal. You will be dealing with secondaries until AT LEAST late July anyway. Truly.

Ok, thanks.

When would you say most interview invites begin popping up?

 

[CougarMD]

Ok, thanks.

When would you say most interview invites begin popping up?

I got my first one during the second week of August, my last one the last week of September.

Other people complete the same time I was got invites as late as March.

Honestly....if ALL they're waiting for is the letter, you are still way ahead of everyone else. I would worry more about turning the secondaries around quickly. Some schools (Duke) don't even look at the letter until after you interview. Others will give you an interview without them. I got an Interview at Yale without being "complete"; my letters hadn't arrived yet through some tweak of AMCAS.

 

[ChemMed]

I'm not sure I can help to much but to answer your question I had everything into the application sites by May. I was complete with the initial application by mid June for all the schools I applied to. Secondaries took longer.

I just found out my pre-health committee will not get my letter out until late August.

I really really need to apply early, and I even planned on getting secondaries returned as quickly as possible.

Now the application process has become confusing to me. Am I not considered "complete" at schools until they get my LORs?

For people who applied early, when were you complete at most schools?

Does late August seem kinda late for schools to get letters? I really don't know..

The obvious solution would be to skip the committee process and handle the LORs on my own, but then I have to explain at every school why I didn't partake in the committee process. Does this look bad?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ChemMed]

Ok, thanks.

When would you say most interview invites begin popping up?

Interview invites started as early as late July for me, but most came in August and September.