Letters of Rec

[seanparsel]

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I am going to be applying for medical school for the entering class of 2011 and I was wondering what the best way was to get letters sent to AMCAS. I know they have changed it recently and I feel like they made it more difficult for writers; however I could be wrong. I know that you have to have an AMCAS application open for them to send a letter in, so does this mean I need to wait until May to have them send in my letters?

Also, I was wondering what the best way would be to approach someone for a letter. I would like to ask them in a professional manner; but I really don't know what to give them or have them do. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[mattng]

It is true that you need to have an account with AMCAS so they can attach letters to it. I personally use Interfolio so that I can have them manage all my letters of recommendation. While AMCAS collects all the letters, some schools accept the letters through AMCAS, while some still do it old school (the recommender sends it directly to the school's ADCOM). So, have all your letters sent to Interfolio and when you get your account open, you can send them to AMCAS and also when you complete secondaries, you can also have Interfolio send your letters, so your recommender don't have send a letter to each individual school.

I personally think the best way to approach for a letter of recommendation is to have your resume/CV ready and ask the prospective writer to write you one. Tell him/her you're applying to medical school and would like their recommendation. Give him a deadline and directions.

 

[NickNaylor]

As far as asking for a letter goes, mattng is right: have a resume/CV ready because they'll undoubtedly ask for it. Just ask a professor in whose class you've done well; in my experience, they're more than willing to help you out.

 

[rHinO1]

I am in the process of getting my letters now, already have 3. I decided to use interfolio so that I could get all of my letters a little early and not worry about them delaying my application. Also, at least 1 school I'm applying at doesn't use the amcas recommendation service.

I think it is best to ask a writer if you can meet with them in person "to discuss the possibilty of my success in professional school and getting a letter of recommendation." Or something similar. Having a professor who will actually interview you in order to get a letter of rec will result in a much better letter.

 

[magicmage88]

I am going to be applying for medical school for the entering class of 2011 and I was wondering what the best way was to get letters sent to AMCAS. I know they have changed it recently and I feel like they made it more difficult for writers; however I could be wrong. I know that you have to have an AMCAS application open for them to send a letter in, so does this mean I need to wait until May to have them send in my letters?

Also, I was wondering what the best way would be to approach someone for a letter. I would like to ask them in a professional manner; but I really don't know what to give them or have them do. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

As far as letters go, it's recommended that you have letters from 2 science teachers, 1 non science and 2 EC's (shadowing, research, volunteer, etc). Also, my school provides a LOR service where someone is in charge of receiving, organizing and sending all your letters to AMCAS for a fee. I'd recommend doing so.. one less thing you have to worry about. Most recommenders usually require a CV, personal statement, unofficial transcript, waiver form and a pre-stamped/labeled envelop and perhaps a quick interview to get to know you a little better. I have all my letters in already so I'm familiar with this stuff in case you were wondering =] good luck!

 

[seanparsel]

Hey thanks guys for all the input...I think my university offers a credentials service I just found out. 🙂

 

[frescoengano]

hey guys, if we already opened an account just to check it out and all...will that account (and AMCAS ID) be destroyed for the next cycle?
i.e. i'm applying this june and want to get into a school fall 2011; i just opened an account just to see what we have to do later on... (2010 is still up)

so should i ask my professors to put this AMCAS ID on it? or what?

 

[mattng]

You'll keep the same AMCAS ID, unless you change your personal information, like SSN, birthday, name, etc...

 

[meanderthal]

My school has a Committee that interviews us and then puts together a packet with letters...unfortunately this does not go out until late August/Sept and I heard that schools def. prefer a school packet if your college offers that service. There's no way to speed them up and I was considering having Interfolio send a few (or couple) key letters before my school sends the packet. Do you guys think that might be redundant? Maybe other people out there are in a similar position?

 

[frescoengano]

do you guys know of any schools that require 3 science LOR?
Also, if I do research if a bio professor and ask him for a lor(i get letter-grade credit for the hours, too), does that count as a science LOR?