eLOR

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Packers04

Packers04

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A week ago I asked a professor to write me a LOR and he said he would be happy to write one for me. I sent him the form from VMCAS that day and he still hasn't completed it according to my records. This is my first time applying and I feel it could almost make or break my application. Should I be worried at all? How much time should I give before I consider following up with him? Im sure I'm just worried for no reason and fear that he might have changed his mind.
 
Ha, I sent that VMCAS email to all my eLORs the week the VMCAS came out (early June). My first one responded in late August, 2 in early september and I had to HOUND the last two until they submitted two days before the deadline. I would wait at least until august to remind them.
 
Our app isn't a rolling one like AMCAS - your application will receive equal consideration whether it's complete now or 30 seconds before the deadline. Because of this, it's actually in your best interest to give yourself and your referees the full amount of time to work on the essay and eLoRs. I submitted my application a day before the deadline so that I would have extra time to recover if a computer error messed things up. The timetable for hounding referees that lalzi gave is pretty close to the one I used.

A prof who has changed his mind will tell you so. They realize that these letters are essential, and that if they can't write, you'l, need to find a replacement ASAP. If you hear nothing, assume he's writing away. No news is good news here.
 
Ditto all. You've got PLENTY of time.

That being said, I did have to remind one of my eLOR writers CONSTANTLY last year, and I'm using him again this year! A polite email in August ensuring that he received the link to the VMCAS page wouldn't be amiss.
 
I agree with everyone else. It won't stop you from stressing though. One of my references I asked about a month before VMCAS opened, sent him the info the day it opened and he submitted his ELOR just a few hours before the deadline. He was my only vet reference and it REALLY stressed me out!
 
Letters of recommendation aren't due until the beginning of October, which is over three months away. It takes time to compose a quality letter, and I'm sure he has other things to occupy his time. If it would make you feel better, you can contact him and see if he received the email/whatever from VMCAS.
 
You can always send a thank you letter to them that can also serve as a reminder
 
Sorry to hijack but I have a quick question about eLORs too.

Once you enter an evaluators information including e-mail, will it automatically send them an e-mail within the following week to fill out the form once you click save?
 
Yes, VMCAS will automatically generate an email to your recommender with instructions on how to submit their letter online. Then, once they have submitted it, you will receive an email from VMCAS letting you know, in addition to the application itself reflecting this satisfied requirement.

You will definitely know once your letters have all been submitted!
 
While we are on the eLOR topic, let's discuss the language in them. Is it necessary to contain the words, "I recommend XXXX for admission to the college of veterinary medicine"?
 
Haha! I asked one of my profs for a letter about a YEAR before I planned to apply and he didn't submit it to VMCAS until the day before the application due date. It's early in the game, so relax!
 
Armymutt25A said:
While we are on the eLOR topic, let's discuss the language in them. Is it necessary to contain the words, "I recommend XXXX for admission to the college of veterinary medicine"?
Click to expand...

In terms of what your evaluators are saying, I think it's generally good for them to put SOMETHING along those lines in the letter. It doesn't necessarily have to be that exact phrasing, but the whole point is that they think you are a qualified candidate who would make a good veterinarian/excel in vet school, so you definitely want that to be sort of explicitly stated...in addition to them listing all your wonderful attributes 🙂
 
Armymutt25A said:
While we are on the eLOR topic, let's discuss the language in them. Is it necessary to contain the words, "I recommend XXXX for admission to the college of veterinary medicine"?
Click to expand...

I think I know where you are coming from on this one. From an academic or veterinary or clinical source it is important for the recommender to evaluate your fitness for a veterinary program (and to compare you to others they may recommend). Still, some of us have recommendations from outside these areas and what would your commanding officer (or my boss) know about our fitness for vet school. In these cases, I don't think that kind of language is necessary. Still it would be nice if they said something more than just a character reference that would be applicable to your vet school credentials.
Talking about persistence in the face of adversity, or a unique combination of intelligence and compassion, or whatever can be just as applicable.

Hope that helps. Good luck.
SOV
 
This is for the one from my boss, which means I'm writing the bulk of it for him (Writing in the Army Style 101 - You write it, I sign it). I just want to know if he has to use the precious few characters available to state the obvious. He's going to need lots of room to elaborate on how awesome I've been over the past 28 or so months.😉 It looks like this will be a cross between an officer evaluation report and an NCO evaluation report - i.e. both quantitative and qualitative statements. Luckily, he's just written my OER.
 
Armymutt25A said:
This is for the one from my boss, which means I'm writing the bulk of it for him (Writing in the Army Style 101 - You write it, I sign it). I just want to know if he has to use the precious few characters available to state the obvious. He's going to need lots of room to elaborate on how awesome I've been over the past 28 or so months.😉 It looks like this will be a cross between an officer evaluation report and an NCO evaluation report - i.e. both quantitative and qualitative statements. Luckily, he's just written my OER.
Click to expand...

I'd leave it out unless he has some vet connection that would allow him to say that. Otherwise stick to your awesomeness and its applicability to an academic/scientific pursuit.
 
Armymutt25A said:
This is for the one from my boss, which means I'm writing the bulk of it for him (Writing in the Army Style 101 - You write it, I sign it).
Click to expand...

My vet eLOR is going to be same way. It feels unusual to be writing from the perspective of a professional, especially since it feels like it defies the purpose of the LOR itself... has anyone else had this happen to them (i.e. having to write the bulk of your vet's LOR?)?
 
Not only have I never written my own LOR, but I haven't even been offered to read any of the ones people have written for me like others seem to have been. It sucks cause I'm totally curious as to what they say...but since I waived my right of access officially I feel like I shouldn't ask the people who wrote them because it puts them in an uncomfortable spot they weren't anticipating. 🙁
 
bonaparte said:
My vet eLOR is going to be same way. It feels unusual to be writing from the perspective of a professional, especially since it feels like it defies the purpose of the LOR itself... has anyone else had this happen to them (i.e. having to write the bulk of your vet's LOR?)?
Click to expand...

By the way, I did take a look at the e-form for the LOR and one thing that might suprise people is there are a bunch of questions to answer as well. It specifically asks the recommeder to evaluate candidates ability to restrain animals (large, small, both). I wonder what my hedge fund boss thought of that! I guess I had to restrain him a number of times, that counts as large animal restraining doesn't it!

There were some other questions but I don't recall them.
 
For those that have applied multiple times - did you use the same people for your LOR? I did the past 2 times, and am wondering if I should change one up. But I feel they were really strong letters - a DVM I've worked with for 10 years, my professor (PhD) would I did research with and has a DVM for a husband, and my MD who has known me for ~9 years and brings his animals to the clinic where I work.

Do I change them up? I've seen the one from my DVM and you couldn't ask for a stronger LOR but I'm not sure about the others.
 
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