is interfolio still the way to go?

[kazza2ud]

AMCAS has some new system for LORs now, right, but is interfolio still easier? I heard it doesn't work for some med schools, but the AMCAS thing only works for a handful... what's easiest?

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[BluePhoenix]

AMCAS has some new system for LORs now, right, but is interfolio still easier? I heard it doesn't work for some med schools, but the AMCAS thing only works for a handful... what's easiest?

If your school doesn't do virtual evals or send out the packets for you....Interfolio is definitely the easiest way to send out letters if you have to do it yourself. They don't have electronic transfers to all the med schools but you can send them to any med school you want (some just have to go by regular mail). I'm using them this year and it's very easy and fast.

 

[seven87]

Interfolio is great. Simple, easy and quick responses to any questions.

Example: they were supposed to have RFU available for electronic submission but when I searched for it RFU did not show up. I emailed them asking about it and they fixed the problem in less than 24 hrs.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

I'm sending out all of mine by regular mail. Some of my schools use interfolio and one of them uses the AMCAS service.

I will have 29 letters total sent out. With interfolio this would cost $15 for a membership plus $5 for every letter sent out by mail, and $4 for every letter sent electronically. That would be well over $100. I bought postage for all my letters for under $20.

 

[kazza2ud]

So if interfolio doesn't support electronic transmission to the school, it will still mail it out to them?

Wow I didn't know it was so expensive, but it's not like I can ask my recommenders to make 18 copies of their rec.

about the committee: I'm not going through an undergrad committee I'm in grad school.

 

[BluePhoenix]

So if interfolio doesn't support electronic transmission to the school, it will still mail it out to them?

Wow I didn't know it was so expensive, but it's not like I can ask my recommenders to make 18 copies of their rec.

about the committee: I'm not going through an undergrad committee I'm in grad school.

Yeah, I think it has options for how fast you want it sent as well...priority, overnight, etc. I think it makes it much easier for the recommenders to only have to do 1 letter that they can upload and not worry about mailing it out.

After applying to grad school and having to deal with finding the right address and making sure things got received and all...this is a million times easier...especially since the addresses are already in there, you just pick the school. I imagine it's cheaper than a stamp, but since I'd probably be sending mine out using Priority Mail anyway which would end up being just as much.

 

[chessknt]

Also FYI you HAVE to send LoRs via AMCAS to the schools that specify they are participating in the LOE program--they will not accept them from any other source.

 

[flip26]

Also FYI you HAVE to send LoRs via AMCAS to the schools that specify they are participating in the LOE program--they will not accept them from any other source.

Is there a list of those schools? Is this a trial program?

 

[BluePhoenix]

Is there a list of those schools? Is this a trial program?

If you selected any of these schools, AMCAS will send you an email telling you that you need to send them the LOR's. I imagine it's on the AMCAS website as well. It's a trial program this year, takes about 15 days right now for them to be "received" as well.

 

[kazza2ud]

Oh ok, that makes sense. Because there is this thing in interfolio about how to send letters through interfolio to amcas for those schools that only accept it that way. so i think it's all good.

 

[flip26]

If you selected any of these schools, AMCAS will send you an email telling you that you need to send them the LOR's. I imagine it's on the AMCAS website as well. It's a trial program this year, takes about 15 days right now for them to be "received" as well.

Is the underlying thought for AMCAS to take over the interfolio function - i.e., AMCAS will eventually offer the same service as Interfoiio, rendering it obsolete? If not, it seems like they are simply adding an extra step into the process that creates an additional opportunity for a mistake to be made...a letter that never gets delivered, and you (the applicant) have to figure out which of the 2 services is at fault...

What is the supposed benefit to the applicant, or to the schools? I thought that interfolio had a good track record...why fix something that ain't broke?

 

[SN2ed]

Is there a list of those schools? Is this a trial program?

Participating Medical Schools

For the 2009 entering class, the following medical schools have agreed to participate in order to assist AMCAS with this new endeavor:

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Boston University School of Medicine
• Creighton University School of Medicine
• East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
• Florida International University College of Medicine
• Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Harvard Medical School
• Meharry Medical College
• Mercer University School of Medicine
• Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
• Temple University School of Medicine
• Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
• University of Arizona College of Medicine
• University of Illinois College of Medicine
• University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
• University of Michigan Medical School
• University of Mississippi School of Medicine
• University of South Florida College of Medicine
• University of Virginia School of Medicine
• University of Washington School of Medicine
• Weill Cornell Medical College

 

[kami333]

Is the underlying thought for AMCAS to take over the interfolio function - i.e., AMCAS will eventually offer the same service as Interfoiio, rendering it obsolete? If not, it seems like they are simply adding an extra step into the process that creates an additional opportunity for a mistake to be made...a letter that never gets delivered, and you (the applicant) have to figure out which of the 2 services is at fault...

What is the supposed benefit to the applicant, or to the schools? I thought that interfolio had a good track record...why fix something that ain't broke?

Why let another company make money off of something you control?

At least the AMCAS letter service lets you pick and choose letters for individual schools, thats a step up from VE.

 

[flip26]

Why let another company make money off of something you control?

At least the AMCAS letter service lets you pick and choose letters for individual schools, thats a step up from VE.

The problem as I see it is that the AMCAS letter system "forces" applicants to use it, but they apparently are not presently capable of replacing everything Interfolio does, so applicants get the raw end of the deal - they still have to deal with and pay for Interfolio, etc., and then have the letters sent to AMCAS - seems like a ridiculous extra step.

So I am asking since I have read nothing about it: is AMCAS trying to create a "better" system for applicants and schools, or have they stuck their nose into a system that worked well enough?

Also, are you suggesting that this is some sort of "profit motivated" maneuver by AMCAS to get into the letter forwarding biz? If so, they aren't exactly doing a very good job of it...

 

[Lokhtar]

Is the underlying thought for AMCAS to take over the interfolio function - i.e., AMCAS will eventually offer the same service as Interfoiio, rendering it obsolete? If not, it seems like they are simply adding an extra step into the process that creates an additional opportunity for a mistake to be made...a letter that never gets delivered, and you (the applicant) have to figure out which of the 2 services is at fault...

What is the supposed benefit to the applicant, or to the schools? I thought that interfolio had a good track record...why fix something that ain't broke?

I'll still use interfolio for graduate schools. But as long as I can send interfolio letters to AMCAS, and they'll accept it, it's all good.

 

[BluePhoenix]

Is the underlying thought for AMCAS to take over the interfolio function - i.e., AMCAS will eventually offer the same service as Interfoiio, rendering it obsolete? If not, it seems like they are simply adding an extra step into the process that creates an additional opportunity for a mistake to be made...a letter that never gets delivered, and you (the applicant) have to figure out which of the 2 services is at fault...

What is the supposed benefit to the applicant, or to the schools? I thought that interfolio had a good track record...why fix something that ain't broke?

I imagine that AMCAS could totally use it to justify charging more. It really does seem like a bad idea, especially since Interfolio does a good job of it and AMCAS is already backed up doing primary verification so I don't know why they'd want to add additional work at the same time. The monopoly they've got on whole application process really does suck and I imagine helps drive up the costs simply because there's no other option and it's not like you can really do anything about it other than not apply.