Letter for sister?

[jbs12]

Hello all,
I'm a 4th year at Albert Einstein and my sister is applying here for med school. She's interviewed here, but hasn't heard anything yet. A friend of mine suggested that I write a letter to the admissions office on her behalf. Does anyone know if this is appropriate of not?
Thanks!

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[Castro Viejo]

It's inappropriate firstly because you are family (what else would they expect you to say?) and cannot provide a fair and unbiased assessment of her suitability for the profession and secondly because you are a fourth-year medical student -- not a faculty member, an affiliated-attending, or even a resident. As much as we fourth-years believe we control the world at the moment, our opinions are still the opinions of armchair physicians.

I'm willing to bet that any communication made by you on her behalf to the admissions committee will not help. If anything, the admissions committee at Einstein has already identified that the two of you are related and provided that you haven't royaly messed up med school, she'll have a plus mark. This is the way it works at the city's southern-most medical school and I'm sure its northern-most will decide in the same way.

Good luck in the match.

 

[lihini]

I think that it might not be as inapropriate as itmay seem. I worked in the admissions office of my college ( smallish four year liberla arts college). While there I kinda gained insight to the applicant selections processs and the politics that come with it. (I know it was not med school... yet it WAS an admissions commitee). I was specifically told by members of the committee that lettters from current students recommending an applicant were considered very acceptable 'cos as they put it " it gives a closer picture or ateast an insiders opinion about the applicant" that might be otherwise just a number on a file. However, this only does any good ,if the applicant is competative ot begin with sicne I dont see any major rules being bended on the basis on a letter alone. I wrote a letter recommending a friend who was accepted very easily ( dont know if the letter helped at all) Keep it very informal since you are family... you dont want it to look like you are trying too hard.. just let the commitee relate to your sister through you.... if you think about it contacts are the best way to land a job ... I believe people are more accpeting of you if they have some kind of connection to you. hopefully you will be able to provide this connection for your sis. I am assumnign that your ad com still knows you and like you. If they didint it wouldnt be as effective.
Well hope this helps. Good luck to your sis!
PS: if you pissed anyone in the ad com at all in your time at this school, and they remember you for it, its best not to write anything at all !!!

 

[surge]

I think it's highly inappropriate. Make sure you don't negatively affect her application.

 

[Hero]

yes your letter will be biased but aren't all letters of rec pretty much biased? still i think it would be best if she wrote the letter herself. have her say why she wantes to go to that school what's she has accomplished since her interview, etc. look over the letter for her.

she can talk about how much u like the school and that's part of the reason she wants to go to taht school.

perhaps the biggest part you can do is hand deliver the letter to an admissions member. i'm guessing many letters get lost in the pile so if you make sure her letter gets read by the right person that'll be great.

everyone knows that the admin processes is a huge pile of crap and luck. tweak it to her favor

best wishes, hero

 

[Castro Viejo]

Hero's suggestion is probably best. Have her write a letter explaining why she'd like to be at Einstein, have her mention you (so long as you're in a favorable light with the school), and voila -- she will have upped herself on the list applicants being considered.

And, yes, all letters of recommendation are inherently biased in one way or another, but it's felt that letters coming from FAMILY are a waste of paper. Oh, and people who wouldn't be able to offer much in evaluating the applicant as a potential physician (e.g., G-men, clergy, friends, etc.).

 

[UCLA2000]

It's not any more inappropriate than all the calls/emails that rich parents with connections do in order to try to get their kids into ivy schools.

If you have the connections you should use them. Word of advice though...don't EVER mention it to your sister.

 

[Bonds756]

Why not? By writing the letter, it will simply remind the committee of her relationship to you which should be a plus in the admissions process. And giving them a letter, just like if your sister sent in application updates, is another thing that puts her application at the top of the review pile.
And it is your sister. A nice thing to do.

 

[merlin]

I'm a first year here at Einstein and from what I have seen, I don't think that it would be inappropriate at all. Einstein really likes to, in a way, pride itself on its emphasis on family. Maybe you should just go to the admissions office and ask about the status of your sisters application so that it leaves the question open about what you can do. Or just ask them if you may include a letter on her behalf. They are really nice in the admissions office after all. There are many people in my class that have either older brothers or sisters that are going or went to Einstein. I guess that doesn't answer much. Good luck.