How to get so many LORs?

[Nietzsche]

Hey guys,

I was just curious, how do you guys handle obtaining multiple LORs? Meaning, let's say if you want to apply widely, let's say 7-8 programs, do you just ask your Professor/LOR Writer to give you 7-8 copies? Can you possibly make a copy of the original? I'm about to go LOR hunting and I just don't want to piss off the professor asking for 8-10 LORs.

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[TyrKinase]

Three options:

1) Provide each letter writer with the appropriate number of addressed envelopes or better yet, adhesive labels and stamps. Ask him/her to place letters in the mail and follow up afterward to make sure it's been done.

2) Find out whether your school has a letter forwarding service. If so, have the letter writer submit the letter to that service. They hold a copy and you pay them a fee to send out letters as necessary. Usually the letter forwarding service requires that the recommender fill out a supplementary form with questions such as how well you performed in their class, ranking of leadership abilities, etc. Be sure to provide this form to the recommender before he/she begins to write on your behalf.

3) Use Interfolio (http://www.interfolio.com) to manage to your own letters of recommendation. You provide instructions to each letter writer and they submit their letter directly to the Interfolio service. You then use the service to coordinate who and where to send each letter or packet of letters.

Personally, I went with #2 but I wish I had gone with #3 because it provides the applicant with a little more control over the process.

 

[mr2trd3]

I highly recommend using Interfolio. It's cheap, easy to manage, and, best of all, it saves all of your letters so you can reuse them without bothering your letter writers again. Your life will be like hell without Interfolio if you are 1) applying to more than a couple of schools and 2) reapplying.

Applying without using a letter service like Interfolio is not quite as bad now as it was before. AMCAS now handles much of the LOR delivery portion (which most schools participate in), but I'm not sure if AACOMAS has made that change yet. Still, Interfolio will be a life saver if you ever need to reapply.

 

[Nietzsche]

Thanks a lot guys, really helpful. I browsed around Interfolio and have 1 question about it, a majority of my Professors are computer illiterate and I was just wondering, can I print out something from Interfolio, give it to them w/ a stamped envelope and have them mail it in? Or do they have to confirm online or something? Thanks a ton.

 

[mr2trd3]

Thanks a lot guys, really helpful. I browsed around Interfolio and have 1 question about it, a majority of my Professors are computer illiterate and I was just wondering, can I print out something from Interfolio, give it to them w/ a stamped envelope and have them mail it in? Or do they have to confirm online or something? Thanks a ton.

I think that they will have to upload it. However, I believe the process to be extremely simple that even monkeys can figure it out. You will fill out the LOR request form on Interfolio and it will be emailed to your letter writers. All they have to do is open the link and upload the letter. Pretty straight foward stuff here.

Good luck.

 

[Winter Lily]

I highly recommend using Interfolio. It's cheap, easy to manage, and, best of all, it saves all of your letters so you can reuse them without bothering your letter writers again. Your life will be like hell without Interfolio if you are 1) applying to more than a couple of schools and 2) reapplying.

Applying without using a letter service like Interfolio is not quite as bad now as it was before. AMCAS now handles much of the LOR delivery portion (which most schools participate in), but I'm not sure if AACOMAS has made that change yet. Still, Interfolio will be a life saver if you ever need to reapply.

Some schools' career services offices have a service like Interfolio, but they don't charge for it. You should probably ask.

(Mine used to be that way, but then they switched to Interfolio. *le sigh*)