Format for LOR

[elephino]

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Hi,
I am planning on applying next year, so I am not too familiar with the application process yet, and was wondering, what is the format for submitting letters of recommendations? Are they written and sealed? Must they be electronically submitted by the writer? I'm a little confused about this.
Also, how early is too early to get a LOR? I need to get some from undergrad profs. which is going on 3 years since I've been in their classes, so I want to request them soon, but don't want my letters to be outdated by the time I apply.

Thanks for the help!

 

[elephino]

please😕

 

[DarkChild]

its never too early to get LORs. especially when you consider that the letter writer is writing about an interaction with you in the past. i.e. a teacher from your junior year is writing about what he saw you do in your junior year.
i think there are a couple ways to handle LORs:
1) through the pre-med office at your school - or through your school's career center. at my school we gave LOR writers an envelope addressed to the pre-med office. they write the rec and send it in. the pre-med office pulls all of your apps together and write a committee letter which is added to all your other LORs and then sent out to the schools you are applying to.
2) your LOR writers mail in their LORs directly to the schools you are applying. this is a really tough on - LOR writers get lazy, stuff gets lost in the mail, and they have to rewrite it, which takes a really long time...
but basically you give them like 15 envelopes and they make copies of your LOR and send it to all the 15 schools.
oh i guess there is a third.. there are these web sites which handle LORs now. your dudes write in their LORs submit it to the site and the site mails it to your schools.
btw - you have the right to read your LORs but from what i understand, most schools prefer it if you have waived your right to see them. the reasoning being that its more objective.
cheers.

 

[elephino]

thank you, thank you!!!

I guess I should have asked my pre-med committee at school then. But asking SDN is sooo much easier!

Thanks

 

[charlatangirl]

just to reiterate what dark said:

really be persistent with your recommenders. it may seem like you're being a nag, but hey, they made a commitment to you and they ought to honor it, the same way we honor the deadlines for papers and exams that they impose on us. it's just the right thing to do.

so be firm! make SURE your recs get in on time! it'll save you SUCH headache...just don't forget to persist in a polite fashion. you don't want to come off TOO much a pain in the arse.

 

[Bostonienses]

I have a question about this pre-med committee letter thing: If you have already graduated from undergrad, do you still need to send one? There is only one prof from undergrad that I would like to write a letter on my behalf, so can I just ask him for it or do I have to go with the committee thing?
Thanks!

 

[Tweetie_bird]

I had saved some of these pages on my computer so I'm sharing it with you. Not sure what my resources are so I'll just copy and paste it away.....

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10 Tips for Recommenders
Review a copy of the applicant's personal statement so that your letter of recommendation can dovetail with--not conflict with or duplicate--the rest of the application
Ask the applicant to supply you with additional information like a r?sum?.
Describe your qualifications for comparing the applicant to other applicants.


I have been teaching for twenty years and have advised approximately 450 students on independent research projects over the last five years.
I have personally supervised ten interns every summer for the last five years plus worked with over two hundred college students in the Big Medical Center ER.


Discuss how well you know the applicant.


I was able to get to know Mr. Doe because he made it a point to attend two of my sections every week when only one was required.
Ms. Smith did research in my laboratory for two years, and I worked very closely with her.


Choose two to three qualities that you observed in the applicant.


Jane has a rare blend of top research, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
The combination of tenacity, willingness to help, and good communications skills found in Mr. Doe is truly unique.


In discussing those qualities, support your statements with specific instances in which he or she demonstrated those attributes. Be as concrete and detailed as possible


He is the only student I ever had who came to all my office hours as part of a relentless--and successful--drive to master biochemistry. He was one of just ten percent in the class to receive an A.
Because of Jane's research and communications skills, I didn't hesitate to ask her to monitor epileptic patients and prepare electrodes to be implanted in their bilateral temporal lobes. Her quality work contributed significantly to a paper we co-authored and presented to the Society for Neuroscience.


Try to quantify the student's strengths or rank him or her vis-?-vis other applicants that you have observed.


He was in the top 10% of his class.
She has the best research skills of any person her age that I have ever supervised.


Avoid generalities and platitudes.
Include some mild criticism, typically the flip-side of a strength.


The only fault I have encountered in him is his retiring nature. His modesty sometimes hides a young man of remarkable sensitivity and broad interests.
Occasionally, her fortitude and persistence can turn into stubbornness, but usually her good nature and level-headedness prevail.


Discuss the applicant's potential in his or her chosen field.


I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Doe to your medical program. This well-rounded student will be a fine, compassionate doctor.
With her exceptional interpersonal and research skills, Ms. Smith will be an outstanding doctor and a credit to the medical school she attends.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

Also, here is a very informative thread from SDN.

 

[charlatangirl]

i'm applying from grad school (i'll be getting my MPH soon) but i still made sure to send undergrad letters. in fact, i think such letters carry more weight (unless, perhaps, you got letters from a PhD program in a science).

i did, however, do a committee letter (that's the format at hopkins) and sent two letters from my grad faculty. it also helped that these two recommenders were the dean of students and dean of academics, and i got a's in both their courses.

bottom line: choose your recommenders wisely! an undergrad professor who really likes, respects and supports you still makes a great rec, even if your interaction was two or three or four years ago.