letter of recommendation advice for old guy

[passrush]

Hi folks,

I'm an old guy and I'm getting a letter of recommendation from a professor who no longer teaches at the school where I attended. One of my secondary applications specifies the letter of recommendation needs to be on "official" letterhead.

Does this mean that it has be written on the school's letterhead? What kind of junk is this? What are you supposed to do in my situation?

Also, I was planning to do the recommendation through interfolio and having them forward the recommendation to the med school. Does this even involved a letterhead at all or is it just text?

Please help,
passrush

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[jla314]

Hi folks,

I'm an old guy and I'm getting a letter of recommendation from a professor who no longer teaches at the school where I attended. One of my secondary applications specifies the letter of recommendation needs to be on "official" letterhead.

Does this mean that it has be written on the school's letterhead? What kind of junk is this? What are you supposed to do in my situation?

Also, I was planning to do the recommendation through interfolio and having them forward the recommendation to the med school. Does this even involved a letterhead at all or is it just text?

Please help,
passrush

Does your professor teach somewhere else now? Maybe he could write it on his current institution's letterhead (so the letter is "official" and certifiable), and within the body of the letter make clear that he came to know you in the setting of your previous institution. The purpose of letterhead is probably to make sure people aren't misrepresenting the source of their recommendation.

I have never used Interfolio myself so I could be completely off, but I would imagine their service involves a scan of the letter itself (so the letterhead would still be relevant).

 

[passrush]

Thanks for the quick reply, jla. Alas, the professor is now retired and I don't think he has the "official" letterhead.

Also, I think you can just type your recommendation into interfolio. I don't think it involves a scan of a letter. Can any one shed some light on this?

It seems like this situation would've come up before, and I just wondered how other folks have handled it. Any one else have any ideas about the "official" letterhead?

 

[buffywannabe]

they can either email it to interfolio or send it by regular mail. some of the people i had write letters said they could paste the official letterhead stuff in since he had access to it. You should ask him, maybe he can still get that paper.

Good Luck!

 

[Laryngophed]

Most professors have access to the letterhead, even if they are retired, for things just such as this. Just remind him politely of the requirements, and give him some time and I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige.

ETA: What a lame 1st post.

 

[NotSur]

did you ask him? he probably has some.

 

[searun]

My god, how old are you? Are you 25?

 

[CoolWhipp]

I dare say 27.

 

[passrush]

You folks are great. I told the professor the requirements and I just have to hope he'll oblige. Good luck to all the non-trads.

 

[shiftingmirage]

Assuming he is in the area, can't he just drop by the school and ask for the letterhead. Surely someone still there remembers him.