Gap Years and LORs

[frosty42]

Hi everyone!

So I'm planning on applying to enter medical school in 2022. I'm finishing undergrad now (class of 2020) and am trying to plan out my app cycle.

If I am asking several professors for LORs but I'll be out of school for a year by the time I actually need them for my application, when should I ask the professors for LORs?

2/3 of them have already said they are willing to write me a letter, I just don't know when to officially request one. Should I have them write the letters now while my experience with them is more fresh in their minds (and then ask them to submit to AMCAS during my actual app cycle)? My school doesn't have a great premed community so I'm unsure on what the typical steps are for premeds taking gap years.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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[Talldoctor96]

Hi everyone!

So I'm planning on applying to enter medical school in 2022. I'm finishing undergrad now (class of 2020) and am trying to plan out my app cycle.

If I am asking several professors for LORs but I'll be out of school for a year by the time I actually need them for my application, when should I ask the professors for LORs?

2/3 of them have already said they are willing to write me a letter, I just don't know when to officially request one. Should I have them write the letters now while my experience with them is more fresh in their minds (and then ask them to submit to AMCAS during my actual app cycle)? My school doesn't have a great premed community so I'm unsure on what the typical steps are for premeds taking gap years.

Thanks in advance for your help.

You can ask now-- have them write it keep it on interfolio. You could ask them to write it and reach out in a year. its really up to you.

 

[Wayfinder]

Hi! I did a similar thing (graduated in 2018 will be attending med school this fall). I already had close relationships with all of my professors, so I asked them before graduating and then went to visit them in March of 2019 to check in with them, ask for advice, catch up, and reaffirm they were okay with writing my letter and then handed them an updated resume + my personal statement. I think it really depends on your relationship with them. If you are really close and have known them for years, a year or so I don't think will make much of a difference, whereas if you are worried you could ask for it now, or leave it up to them but let them know the tentative due date (May/June 2021). Either way, it always helps to give them your resume when you ask, so they have the information to fall back on!

 

[deleted1040417]

You can ask now-- have them write it keep it on interfolio. You could ask them to write it and reach out in a year. its really up to you.

Should you ask them to adjust/falsify the date to the year of application? Is a year-old LoR frowned upon? How old can an LoR be?

 

[Talldoctor96]

Should you ask them to adjust/falsify the date to the year of application? Is a year-old LoR frowned upon? How old can an LoR be?

You can ask for it now — and then have them change the date before you apply: betrer to have the meat of the letter now .