How strict is Harvard about their LOR requirement?

[Darkest]

Any of y'all know how strict HMS is regarding getting research LOR's? The website says they need an LOR from all research experiences. I did summer thing for 6 weeks and didn't have a very good experience there (PI wasn't the easiest to work with), should I still get a letter from there?

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[Darkest]

If you’re applying to Harvard, I doubt a 6-week research thing will make the difference in you getting in or not. You can leave it off your application entirely, so there’d be no record of it or requirement for a letter from it. You only put stuff on your application that you want to put on there—there’s no penalty for not putting something on there.

Well I'm not only applying to Harvard. I don't want to not put 250 hours of research on my amcas just because of Harvard. I got to do quite a bit of work and learn a lot but the PI was just annoying (explains why no one stayed more than a few months in the lab)

 

[deleted480308]

You can either follow their clear instructions on the website or call and ask if the website is accurate

 

[deleted1009115]

it literally says this right below the LOR guidelines:

“While we strongly recommend meeting the criteria listed above, these are not strict requirements. Ultimately, the letters applicants choose to include are up to their own discretion. Applicants should choose the letters of evaluation they believe will best support their application.”

 

[boneitis]

I go to HMS and definitely did not have a letter from every PI.

 

[chaim123]

I go to HMS and definitely did not have a letter from every PI.

The rules changed in the 2019-2019 cycle to require that all students MD or MD-PhD has letters from ALL research mentors, while that used to be just an MD-PhD rule. That being said, have never seen it strinctly enforced to date. Would recommend calling admissions and see what they would say.

 

[Goro]

it literally says this right below the LOR guidelines:

“While we strongly recommend meeting the criteria listed above, these are not strict requirements. Ultimately, the letters applicants choose to include are up to their own discretion. Applicants should choose the letters of evaluation they believe will best support their application.”

Many thanks for digging this up. I am amazed that some of peers, who ate are extremely bright, can't lift a finger to read Admissions website in their entirety, and/or understand them!

 

[Darkest]

Many thanks for digging this up. I am amazed that some of peers, who ate are extremely bright, can't lift a finger to read Admissions website in their entirety, and/or understand them!

"We should receive letters from all research supervisors for applicants to the MD-PhD program as well as applicants to the MD program."

I just asked because of what @chaim123 said. Just wanted to know how strictly enforced this rule was. Schools will say that they "strongly recommend" physician shadowing, but we know you ain't getting in without it.

 

[Goro]

"We should receive letters from all research supervisors for applicants to the MD-PhD program as well as applicants to the MD program."

I just asked because of what @chaim123 said. Just wanted to know how strictly enforced this rule was. Schools will say that they "strongly recommend" physician shadowing, but we know you ain't getting in without it.

But on the same page, qualifying info was given, no?

 

[chaim123]

But on the same page, qualifying info was given, no?

Goro is correct. I had never looked at the website post-change, just heard of the rule change. But it pretty clearly states that the "rules" are merely suggestions, and that applicants should submit the best application possible.