Dumb questions I had to ask

[sunni]

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So I have some questions that will probably result in many 🙄 🙄 🙄 , but my advisor really doesn't like me, & let's just say I don't believe him:

Can you apply to Cali schools if you're not a resident anymore, but were born there, and you still have a house there (my parents anyhow, not me)?

What do you do about recommendation letters if you're school is lacking a pre-med committe?
I'm confused I think it's either get letters for each school, or have letters sent to amcas who then sends them to each school.

that's all for now,
Thanks.

 

[robotdancing]

there are no residency restrictions for applicants to cali schools. (but yes, of course more residents are accepted at the UC's)

recommendations don't go through amcas

 

[bella_dottoressa]

If you're school doesn't have a premed committee I think there are a couple different letter services you can subscribe to online that will take care of letters for you...someone help me out here.

 

[jcdoc107]

Most schools have a preference towards committee LOR's but they are usually not necessary. I applied to many schools that preferred a committee letter, however in the event that your school does not have a committee they have exceptions. If you get five letters total, 2 science, 1 non science, and 2 EC LOR's you will be fine at just about any school I know of.

 

[SaraMac13]

My school (UC Berkeley) didn't have a premed committee, but there was a letter service that you paid for that kind of handled it for you. You don't get a composite letter, but you have all your letter writers send the letter service their letters directly. Then once you have those letters in your "account" you can just go online and tell the service to send "letters 1, 4, and 5 to such and such school at such and such address" Then you have to pay about 5 bucks per letter for them to send it. I guess you have to it that way so that the letter doesn't come directly from you. That's how it was at my school, and once you got those letters into that account it was pretty easy.

GO BEARS
UCB Class of 2003
Keck/USC Class of 2007

 

[bella_dottoressa]

Thanks Sara, that was exactly what I was thinking of.

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by SaraMac13
My school (UC Berkeley) didn't have a premed committee, but there was a letter service that you paid for that kind of handled it for you. You don't get a composite letter, but you have all your letter writers send the letter service their letters directly. Then once you have those letters in your "account" you can just go online and tell the service to send "letters 1, 4, and 5 to such and such school at such and such address" Then you have to pay about 5 bucks per letter for them to send it. I guess you have to it that way so that the letter doesn't come directly from you. That's how it was at my school, and once you got those letters into that account it was pretty easy.

GO BEARS
UCB Class of 2003
Keck/USC Class of 2007

UCLA has something similar. And I like it that way, cause you never know how the composite letter will turn out. I'd rather keep the letter writers' original letters.

As for the UC's, I believe UCI and UCD don't really accept out of staters. UCSD accepts very few. UCLA and UCSF are the ones that give more consideration to out of staters (I think each school has 5-10% of out of staters in each class)

 

[surge]

Originally posted by SaraMac13
My school (UC Berkeley) didn't have a premed committee, but there was a letter service that you paid for that kind of handled it for you. You don't get a composite letter, but you have all your letter writers send the letter service their letters directly. Then once you have those letters in your "account" you can just go online and tell the service to send "letters 1, 4, and 5 to such and such school at such and such address" Then you have to pay about 5 bucks per letter for them to send it. I guess you have to it that way so that the letter doesn't come directly from you. That's how it was at my school, and once you got those letters into that account it was pretty easy.

GO BEARS
UCB Class of 2003
Keck/USC Class of 2007

Or you can just give each of your letter writers a list of schools along with addressed, pre-stamped envelopes and just have them send out the letters directly to schools (this is what I had to do in addition to a committee letter).
Either way, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by surge
Or you can just give each of your letter writers a list of schools along with addressed, pre-stamped envelopes and just have them send out the letters directly to schools (this is what I had to do in addition to a committee letter).
Either way, it shouldn't be a problem.

I'd suggest having the LOR service at the school to do it if you have such a place in your school, unless you're trying to meet a deadline that's within 2 weeks or so.

It saves the hazzle of the letter writers. I remember one of my letter writers took three months to write the letter, and so instead of using the letter service, I gave her individual envelopes to mail out letters directly to the schools. Since her letter was 3 pages long, and she had to print out like 10-15 copies...that was a big hazzle I assure you.