Do I need a comittee letter?

[studpremed]

So without giving out too much details about the school I go to...my school offers committee letters however you need to open a pre-health file for a year, attend mandatory meetings, meet with an adviser every semester, and submit an evaluation every semester to keep your pre-health file open. I'm a senior and I didn't bother opening a pre-health file till now because there is a mandatory gpa cutoff score to open one and my gpa was on the lower end till now. Since I plan to graduate in 5 years instead of 4 to build a stronger application I don't mind meeting these requirements as tedious as it is. However, my question is should I bother jumping through these hoops to secure the letter. I've been told SUNY schools absolutely require a committee letter and I'm a NYS resident so it is in my best interest to prioritize SUNYs. Thanks for the responses.

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[thrudheim]

I was told that if your undergraduate institution offers the option of a committee letter and you do not take it, you must have a good reason and be able to explain it to schools.
It also makes that portion of the AMCAS just a little bit easier.

 

[el_duderino]

Some secondaries I filled out specifically asked me to explain why I didn't have a committee letter, if my school offered the service.

You should absolutely jump through the hoops.

 

[Ochemphd]

.

 

[studpremed]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should get the letter then since the hoops do keep me on track of everything though it feels very tedious.