LoR - AMCAS Question

[rukid95]

I am currently waiting for a committee letter from my institution and they will not send any letters out until their letter is complete. I was wondering when should I hope they write and send the letters out to schools if I want to have my application complete early? When would it be considered 'on time' and 'late'?

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[To be MD]

If you are getting a committee letter, and they already told you they're writing it, you have nothing to worry about.

It will not be late. You can submit your app whenever you want.

 

[aldol16]

You shouldn't wait for the letters to submit your AMCAS. You should submit the AMCAS and they'll get the letter in when they do. Ideally, all components of your application will arrive at the schools at around the same time so that your file is complete.

 

[rukid95]

(2017 timeline posting counter #016)
-AMCAS Opens May 3rd, 2016 for entering data and requesting transcripts
-AMCAS primary can be submitted June 7th, 2016 in order to start the verification process
-AMCAS doesnt start transmitting verified applications until June 24th (though some schools have secondaries sent to contact info upon submission to AMCAS)
-Verification peak is about August 1st and takes 20 days
-Most Primary Apps are transmitted early July thru early September
-Letters via AMCAS are processed/transmitted separately from primary
-Letters can be added after primary has been submitted and transmitted and are mostly not needed until secondary reviews at the earliest.
-Most adcoms dont start meeting for review until at least mid-August, more likely September (though adcom staff may be doing early reviews).
-Submitting Primary Application June is Early, July Medium, August Late
-Having Primary verified and transmitted to school by end of August is normal speed
-Having Secondary and all LORs complete to school by end of September is normal speed, by end of October is about late.

Thanks @To be MD, @gonnif, and @aldol16. I am still a little confused. So I understand I can submit my primary without the LoR's being sent in so does that mean I will receive the secondary application regardless of the letters (as in the secondary only depends on my primary application being submitted considering I do not get screened out right from the primary)? Also, after the secondary is complete and sent, my entire application will not be complete until my LoR's get to each school. Am I thinking about this right?

 

[rukid95]

You can submit your primary without LOR
The vast majority of schools do not use LORs in anyway to screen for secondary
The vast majority of schools wait until all parts of the application (primary, secondary, MCAT, LOR) before file is marked complete and send for committee review

So, ideally, if I want to be early with my application process, then I should target the letters to be sent in and received around the same time when I submit my secondary application? The only reason I am trying to understand this is because I am going to speak with my advisor on Monday so I wanted to understand the entire process. Thanks for helping me out.

 

[rukid95]

You can have the letters sent anytime. Many UG schools will not get committee letters out until the beginning of next term when staff and faculty are back from summer; medical schools know this.

Thank you @gonnif! You really cleared things up for me!