HELP: INDIVIDUAL LORS

[turtles43]

Hi-

I graduated from PSU in May 2015, and have taken a gap year and will be applying in June. During my undergrad career I attended 2 PSU branch campuses, and never actually went to the main campus. The committee letter comes from the main PSU campus, but since I never actually went to school there and have been out of school for a year, I decided to use individual letters. I obtained multiple very strong letters from professors I've known for 4+ years, and research supervisors from my post grad full-time research position.

Do you think this will put me at a disadvantage?

I honestly did not want to put a committee that I don't even know in charge of portraying me as an applicant. I thought including FULL letters from individuals I know will be writing me a superb letter would be more beneficial than little blurbs in the committee letter. I don't have anything to hide. I have 509 MCAT and 3.96 GPA.

Thanks!

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[Skydive Fox]

I'm using individual letters this cycle instead of committee. I missed the committee deadlines after my mom fell ill and I was caretaking for her. I was told by my advisor, a med school Prof, and an adcom that it's not a big deal as long as one, if questioned, can properly address why they didn't go through a committee.

 

[turtles43]

I'm using individual letters this cycle instead of committee. I missed the committee deadlines after my mom fell ill and I was caretaking for her. I was told by my advisor, a med school Prof, and an adcom that it's not a big deal as long as one, if questioned, can properly address why they didn't go through a committee.

Thank you! That's reassuring! I've read on here that it can be a death sentence to not use the committee. I don't know why we would have the option to use individual letters if it wasn't acceptable.

 

[ChrisMack390]

I'm not using a committee because I've been out of undergrad for >3 years and because my graduate institution only writes them for undergrad students. I don't anticipate this being a problem once I give the explanation I just gave. Some secondaries ask about this, but most don't. Some interviewers might bring it up too, but I doubt they care much. Schools wouldn't give alternative options if not using a committee was some crazy aberration from the norm.

 

[turtles43]

I'm not using a committee because I've been out of undergrad for >3 years and because my graduate institution only writes them for undergrad students. I don't anticipate this being a problem once I give the explanation I just gave. Some secondaries ask about this, but most don't. Some interviewers might bring it up too, but I doubt they care much. Schools wouldn't give alternative options if not using a committee was some crazy aberration from the norm.

I agree. I just thought it would be beneficial to have strong letters from professors that really know me.

 

[ChrisMack390]

its not a major impact at all. 10-15 years ago it was a major flag. 20+ years ago it was near immediate rejection.

Has this changed due to the increasing number of "nontrads", gap years, etc.?

 

[Espressso]

Very interesting to me. I am using individual letters, and I'm not too worried. I mean, all the schools explicitly state their LOR requirements, and none of them say they must have a committee letter.

 

[turtles43]

Very interesting to me. I am using individual letters, and I'm not too worried. I mean, all the schools explicitly state their LOR requirements, and none of them say they must have a committee letter.

I was looking at applying to PSU Hershey and this is what their website lists:

If your college or university has a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office that submits recommendation letter(s), you are required to use their service. If you do not use their service, you must include an explanation (please title your explanation “Reasons for not using the Pre-Health Committee”).

 

[ChrisMack390]

Bahaha half of my writers would have told me to screw if they saw how long my school list is!

 

[ChrisMack390]

I was looking at applying to PSU Hershey and this is what their website lists:

If your college or university has a Pre-health Committee or Pre-Health Office that submits recommendation letter(s), you are required to use their service. If you do not use their service, you must include an explanation (please title your explanation “Reasons for not using the Pre-Health Committee”).

I have no idea what format that want that in. They should just put it on the secondary if they care so much...

 

[turtles43]

University of Vermont: We require a recommendation from the Premedical Advisor or Committee at your college or university.

 

[ChrisMack390]

University of Vermont: We require a recommendation from the Premedical Advisor or Committee at your college or university.

Why would you post 1 sentence out of an entire paragraph?


We require a recommendation from the Premedical Advisor or Committee at your college or university. If your school does not have an advisor or committee, you must provide three letters of recommendation from professors adhering to the following guidelines:

• Two letters must be from professors in the sciences with whom you have taken classes.
• One additional letter must be from a non-science professor with whom you have taken a class.

You may submit additional letters of your choice. Please do not submit more than six (6) letters of recommendation.


If you want to apply there, I would call/email the office. You have already graduated college, I am quite sure you could work something out.

 

[turtles43]

I called them, because my school DOES have a committee letter and I've decided not to use it. They told me not to bother applying without a committee letter if my school offers it. My situation is kind of confusing because PSU commonwealth campuses do NOT have a committee but PSU main campus does.

 

[ChrisMack390]

That's too bad, I got a different response from them. Though I technically didn't 'choose' not to have the committee letter, I am not eligible for it due to having been graduated for a while.

 

[turtles43]

my opinion is to apply anyway. You went to branch campus and you are a previous graduate not a current student. that is sufficient reason to not have a committee letter

That is my plan. If they ask, I will do my best to explain my reasoning.

 

[ChrisMack390]

This is the UVM secondary:


Additional Short Answer Essay Topics
Please write a short response to one of the following questions. (300 word maximum.)
Topic 1:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both…”

--Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken​

Tell us about a time when you were at a crossroads and had to make an important choice. What do you think would have happened if you had made a different choice?

--OR--

Topic 2:
Reflect on a time in your life when you experienced failure or things didn’t go as you’d planned. How did this affect you?



I suppose you could pick topic one and write the entire thing on applying without a committee

Seriously though, I don't think there is really room on there for this.

 

[turtles43]

This is off the topic of LOR, but I graduated and did not take any biochemistry classes. At least 5 schools I am applying to require an introductory course of biochem. I am able to take it in Fall 2016 from my home school, and fill the requirements. I was planning on listing this under current/future coursework. Will schools that require this class put my app on hold until I report back a grade or something?

 

[MaxPlancker]

Don't worry! I opted out and got into schools that even specifically stated you must use a committee letter if your school has one. Most secondaries don't ask you to explain either.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Don't worry! I opted out and got into schools that even specifically stated you must use a committee letter if your school has one. Most secondaries don't ask you to explain either.

Did you use the "anything you want to explain" space for this, or did you just submit individuals and not say anything?

 

[MaxPlancker]

Did you use the "anything you want to explain" space for this, or did you just submit individuals and not say anything?

I never mentioned it unless it specifically asked for an explanation if you didn't use a committee letter (I think 1 school I applied to had this on the secondary).

 

[Vivian&Ondine]

I've been searching around the forums and can't find an answer, but is it alright to send in a committee letter, then a DO LoR separate?