Letters of Recommendation

[Dabears]

Hey all
I am a newbie just getting started with the premed stuff so i am still in the "trying not to be so clueless" stage. But when it comes to LORs and you are going to apply to a stack of schools, what is the best way to tackle it? Lets just say if I you were going to apply to 10 schools, then do you give your teacher all of the names and addresses of all 10 schools then pick up 10 signed copies. Or does the teacher write one generic letter that can be sent out to all 10 schools? Any how does interfolio work? Anyways sorry for the questions but this site has been a great help so far and thanks for the answers!!
Jon

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[DrMidlife]

You need to use a letter service. Interfolio or Virtual Evals is what some schools actually require. Your school might have a service, usually out of the career center.

Whatever service you want to use, get the submission form, and give it to the professor when you ask for an LOR. One form per prof, one letter per prof, endless forwarding for endless schools.

 

[pingouin]

My post-bacc school has no committee and no letter service.

Interfolio saved my life, and my LOR writers thought it was very easy to upload their letters.

 

[TarHeel55]

Another life saved by Interfolio here.

Once your letter-writer uploads or mails your LOR to Interfolio, he or she need never touch the letter again. Best of all, you have complete control over which letters you send to which schools, and when the letters go out.

Another word of advice about LORs: ask your letter-writers EARLY for letters. Ask so early that you feel silly. Jan and Feb are not too early. I asked one of my letter-writers -- a person I see and work with on a regular basis -- this past June. I was taken aback when she told me she wouldn't be able to write the letter until August. Late LORs can really hold your application up, so to avoid this happening to you, ask absurdly early.

Another thing: make sure to tell your letter-writer to put the letter on letterhead stationary. You would think this would be common sense, but one of my letters went out on non-letterhead paper (from a very experienced academic, no less). Many schools won't accept letters that are not on letterhead, and I had a stressful two weeks fixing this glitch.

 

[pingouin]

Another word of advice about LORs: ask your letter-writers EARLY for letters. Ask so early that you feel silly. Jan and Feb are not too early. I asked one of my letter-writers -- a person I see and work with on a regular basis -- this past June. I was taken aback when she told me she wouldn't be able to write the letter until August. Late LORs can really hold your application up, so to avoid this happening to you, ask absurdly early.

This is SUCH good advice! I told one of my writers a year in advance that I was going to ask for one "around this time next year". At any rate, I wanted mine in around June 1 (figured that gave me wiggle room, knowing that someone would take their sweet time). I started confirming in January their willingness to write letters.. then in March, gave them a copy of my resume, the most recent draft of my personal statement, instructions on what to put in the letter which I found through a SDN search, and the Interfolio instructions. The last letter was in on June 12.

Then I had to get another one last-minute, and she had a turnaround time of 1 week, which really amazed me.

Another thing: make sure to tell your letter-writer to put the letter on letterhead stationary. You would think this would be common sense, but one of my letters went out on non-letterhead paper (from a very experienced academic, no less). Many schools won't accept letters that are not on letterhead, and I had a stressful two weeks fixing this glitch.

wow. I thought that went without saying, but I guess not. Glad you got it fixed!

 

[Candlestick Man]

I will second the recommendation to use interfolio etc. service, because I didn't use it, and I am STILL not complete at some places. I was out of the country when I began the application process and didn't know about it (I'm blaming limited dial-up internet), or I definately would have used it. I gave my professors/employer 7-8 months in advance, and they sent them out at a resonable time. But then several got lost, including my overseas recommender's letter, etc. Long story short my complete status has ranged from early Sept. to still incomplete. One of the worst parts for me is to continually ask my recommenders to send letters to schools which screened secondaries, or asking them to re-send - I hate bothering them about it.

anyway, good luck