Hmm.. Committee letter importance

[kboykb]

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Just want some opinions here.. But exactly how important are committee letters? My dilemma is this.. I've been accepted to Ga. State to do my Pre Requisite courses. To my surprise they will write you a committee letter if you come out with at least a 3.0 in your science courses.

Sadly I just realized I'm not a Ga. Resident (lived here 5 years). Going to Ga. State will be almost as expensive as going to a formal post-bacc.

I applied to USC (i'm a sc resident) so I guess if worse comes to worse with the loans I'll go there. They do not provide a committee letter. Would you save $15,000 in private loans and just go to USC?

(I also applied to GTown, NYU and Stony Brook's post-baccs, so we'll see what they say)

 

[apumic]

I'd save the money. You can probably get a committee letter by asking the faculty who teach you to do one together. I know the place I am doing my post-bacc does an informal committee like that if you've done well and request that they do so. If not, it's not the end of the world. Separate letters can be just as effective...

 

[flip26]

If you have strong individual letters, you neither want or need a committee letter. IMO, you will be better off without it - if the school doesn't write them, you are off the hook, but if it does, you pretty much need to get one, or have a good reason for why you did not use the committee, because you will be asked about it.

Save the $ - be glad you don't have a committee letter.

 

[Grey Wind]

my school has a pre-med committee, but I'm not using it. my particular committee head is a piece of work and you couldnt pay me to put a letter that he has any part of in my application. my point is that you should be fine with individual letters as long as they are strong and written by faculty who you have developed some sort of relationship with. good luck.

 

[OncoCaP]

Just want some opinions here.. But exactly how important are committee letters? My dilemma is this.. I've been accepted to Ga. State to do my Pre Requisite courses. To my surprise they will write you a committee letter if you come out with at least a 3.0 in your science courses.

Sadly I just realized I'm not a Ga. Resident (lived here 5 years). Going to Ga. State will be almost as expensive as going to a formal post-bacc.

I applied to USC (i'm a sc resident) so I guess if worse comes to worse with the loans I'll go there. They do not provide a committee letter. Would you save $15,000 in private loans and just go to USC?

(I also applied to GTown, NYU and Stony Brook's post-baccs, so we'll see what they say)

I know nothing about the pre-med program at either school, but I wouldn't spend $15K just to get a committee letter (if that was the only benefit). However, do compare the academics, school reputation, etc. as you make your decision. Cost should be high on your list of decision factors; however, cost should not be #1.

 

[kboykb]

Points taken! USC is pretty much equal to Ga state academically so I think I'll be fine in that aspect. Thanks for the replies everyone, I'll save the extra money for now. 🙂

 

[combatwombat]

I have spoken ill of committee letters in the past, but now that I'm doing applications and seeing what schools want, I think they can actually be a bit convenient if you can get one. For instance, some places want you to give a committee letter, and ask you to explain why if you can't get one... but for $15000 are you kidding???? Don't sweat it

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Yeah, save the money. Just make sureyou follow up on your LORs and you will be fine. Make sure you meet the LOR reqs for all your schools. The committee letter is helpful in that regard, but not worth 15k.

Good luck!

 

[kami333]

I have spoken ill of committee letters in the past, but now that I'm doing applications and seeing what schools want, I think they can actually be a bit convenient if you can get one. For instance, some places want you to give a committee letter, and ask you to explain why if you can't get one... but for $15000 are you kidding???? Don't sweat it

My state school (and first choice) doesn't accept committee letters and requires 3 academic, 1 volunteer, 1 shadowing/clinical experience, and 1 research letter so I think I'm all set for anything the other schools throw at me.

 

[NTF]

For non-trads I don't think committee letters matter other than convenience (if you have a great pre-med committee).

I agree with everyone else. Save the money. Individual letters will be fine if they're good letters.

For people just graduating though, not using your committee could be cause for suspicion.

 

[ChairmanMao]

I think committee letters are mandatory for new college graduates. Medical schools need to know that you didn't fail any classes, cheated on any exams, or did anything amoral when you were in college. However, for those who graduated 5+ years ago, it doesn't really matter because they know that the committee don't even know you that well and the best that they can come up with is a template regarding your grades and major from when you were in college. So unless you are friends with your premed committee or go and have lunch with the committee members every months, it isn't really necessary for you to get one if it takes away time from your application.

 

[Krisss17]

I think committee letters are mandatory for new college graduates. Medical schools need to know that you didn't fail any classes, cheated on any exams, or did anything amoral when you were in college. However, for those who graduated 5+ years ago, it doesn't really matter because they know that the committee don't even know you that well and the best that they can come up with is a template regarding your grades and major from when you were in college. So unless you are friends with your premed committee or go and have lunch with the committee members every months, it isn't really necessary for you to get one if it takes away time from your application.

It depends I think on the school you are applying. Also, what if your college major is not one of the hard sciences? I'll have taken all of my prereqs at a school that doesn't have a pre-med committee, and will be transferring into a university to finish my BA and perhaps taking a few extra upper level science classes (biochemistry, physiology, genetics) only...these classes will either be just completed, in the process of being completed or about to be started...how is this university's advisory committe going to really going to help?

 

[flip26]

I think committee letters are mandatory for new college graduates. Medical schools need to know that you didn't fail any classes, cheated on any exams, or did anything amoral when you were in college. However, for those who graduated 5+ years ago, it doesn't really matter because they know that the committee don't even know you that well and the best that they can come up with is a template regarding your grades and major from when you were in college. So unless you are friends with your premed committee or go and have lunch with the committee members every months, it isn't really necessary for you to get one if it takes away time from your application.

Umm, failed classes are listed on the tranny.

And the premed committee may have no knowledge of disciplinary issues - med schools have been known to ask for a letter from the college dean to reveal these things.

 

[ChairmanMao]

It depends I think on the school you are applying. Also, what if your college major is not one of the hard sciences? I'll have taken all of my prereqs at a school that doesn't have a pre-med committee, and will be transferring into a university to finish my BA and perhaps taking a few extra upper level science classes (biochemistry, physiology, genetics) only...these classes will either be just completed, in the process of being completed or about to be started...how is this university's advisory committe going to really going to help?

I mean it's mandatory for you to get a committee letter if your school has a premed committee. Some schools point this out in their secondary application. Otherwise, if you attended a small liberal arts college without a committee, then obviously, you submit what you can based on what the medical school LOR requirement is.

 

[moonshine2]

I would suggest calling the premed office at USC and asking them about it. They may not have a "committee" letter, but they do offer a credentials service where your letter writers can send the letters directly to the premed office. The premed office will attach a summary letter to your letters when you request that they be sent out to schools. It is my understanding that the summary letter serves as the committee letter.

 

[TexasPrincess]

My community college doesn't have a committee. My counselor said she would write a letter for me a long time ago. When it came time to get her to submit it, I asked her if she would submit hers along with the 2 profs who also are writting letters for me from the same school. No problem.

The power of asking!


Plus, my TMDSAS application only would let me have 2 letters if I didn't get a committee letter. With the committee letter I get more!

 

[njbmd]

If your college, that you are currently attending, has a pre-med committee and you don't use it, you need to provide a good reason why you didn't use it. We check to see when you last matriculated and thus matriculation without using the committee is a negative.(Not liking the chair of the pre-med committee is not a valid reason.) If your school doesn't have a committee or you are not currently enrolled (i.e. graduated some years back), the committee letter isn't as much of a requirement.