LoR Paranoia

[MD021]

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Hey all,

So after weeks (months really) of chasing down a professor, he finally uploaded his LoR to interfolio for me. The letter was 65kb in size.

I got another professor's letter the next day, it was 136kb however. I already knew this letter would be better because I had more opportunities to meet and talk with him but I didn't expect there to be such a big difference in length.

I'm trying to decide if I should even use the first letter for schools that don't even require more than 1 science LoR. I don't think he has anything bad to say, but would it weaken my app if it's a somewhat generic letter? It was a small class and I came to every OH and showed my ability to ask questions, intellectual capacity, and hard work. Does anyone know how long 65kb probably is for an uploaded interfolio LoR?

Thanks for listening 🙂

 

[aSagacious]

My personal statement is 800 words, or 5268 characters, and over a full page in length (single spaced)... and it is only 35.5 kb (word document). I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[venacontracta]

File size depends more on how the professor saved the letter than on how long it is.

 

[aSagacious]

File size depends more on how the professor saved the letter than on how long it is.

+1 .docx >> .doc > .rtf

 

[IHOPness]

It sounds like you are paranoid.

 

[blizzah]

The letterhead is also going to be big.

I can have a decent letterhead with a logo and thats 130 kb right there.

 

[jchap]

It sounds like you are paranoid.

Why? Who said that? I didn't hear anything...Is someone in the room?

 

[IHOPness]

Why? Who said that? I didn't hear anything...Is someone in the room?

 

[MD021]

Lol yeah I agree I'm paranoid.... mainly cuz this professor totally left me clueless as to if and when he would finish the letter (i'm sure that's commonplace tho), and i'm just paranoid he didn't write a thoughtful letter...

So I know some schools require 2+ science letters, and some only require 1 science letter... do the schools that only require 1 prefer seeing more or is it safer for me to use my other letters and just have 1 science + 1 non-science professor letter?

Thanks for your input 😀

 

[MedAdComMD]

Pay 25$ and use The Admission Council's LOR evaluation service.

 

[paul411]

Pay 25$ and use The Admission Council's LOR evaluation service.

Whoa, what is this?

 

[MD021]

^ haven't heard of that either... seems like a way to undermine the confidential/non-confidential system.... not that i would be against that lol

 

[flatearth22]

Is that service a way med schools make money? By rejecting students, then evaluating them for a potential reapplication and telling them how their LOR's were and if they need to take some out and add new ones?

 

[PlacentaSac]

Pay 25$ and use The Admission Council's LOR evaluation service.

I used this service when I applied. I thought it was great. They don't disclose any of the content of the letter; they basically rate the letter on the strength. If they find that the letter has anything negative about you then they "recommend" that you use a different letter. Just have interfolio send it electronically to The Admissions Council. I really looked into this and it was legit. I had six letters and ended up only using five...enough said!


I don't know if I am allowed to put their url on here, but if I can't then I will edit and erase it. But this is it:


http://www.admissionscouncil.com/

 

[AZFutureDoc]

Wow that is so incredibly shady that it's amazing.

 

[StoicJosher]

Wow that is so incredibly shady that it's amazing.

I really didn't know about this and I am definitely going to use it.

 

[PlacentaSac]

Wow that is so incredibly shady that it's amazing.

I don't see anything shady about it. I think it's a great service.

 

[CodeBlu]

I used this service when I applied. I thought it was great. They don't disclose any of the content of the letter; they basically rate the letter on the strength. If they find that the letter has anything negative about you then they "recommend" that you use a different letter. Just have interfolio send it electronically to The Admissions Council. I really looked into this and it was legit. I had six letters and ended up only using five...enough said!


I don't know if I am allowed to put their url on here, but if I can't then I will edit and erase it. But this is it:


http://www.admissionscouncil.com/

Shady no doubt. Slim wouldn't be down.

 

[PlacentaSac]

Shady no doubt. Slim wouldn't be down.

I'm still waiting for the reasoning behind shady...? Is getting your personal statement edited by someone shady? They are "helping" you. Now dont say the ridiculously obvious that a ps is not confidential. This detracts from the argument that someone other than you participated in writing the Ps. I feel that There is absolutely Nothing shady about a medical school advisor telling you the strength of a LOR. The confidentiality agreement is between the student and the letter Writer. As long as the student doesn't know what the letter says then no confidentiality is broken. This is no different than calling up a medical school post rejection asking why and having them tell you it's because you have weak LORs. But I would really love to know why you feel there is something shady there?

 

[Truzzi]

I don't think I'd use it, but I've always thought it was a little unfair that professors can write letters, putting whatever crosses their mind into them knowing that we won't be able to read them. That makes it much easier to blow the letter off completely and can lead to quite thoughtless letters which may otherwise have been spectacular.

I understand why it exists, but I think the confidentiality waiver deprives the students of power as an unintended consequence. The professors no longer have a check; it's quite ridiculous. Another hurdle in this stupid, silly game.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I don't think I'd use it, but I've always thought it was a little unfair that professors can write letters, putting whatever crosses their mind into them knowing that we won't be able to read them. That makes it much easier to blow the letter off completely and can lead to quite thoughtless letters which may otherwise have been spectacular.

I understand why it exists, but I think the confidentiality waiver deprives the students of power as an unintended consequence. The professors no longer have a check; it's quite ridiculous. Another hurdle in this stupid, silly game.

So you would prefer a system where professors can't be honest in their evaluation of you? That sort of defeats the purpose of an LoR, doesn't it--to be a perfectly candid evaluation of you as an applicant? Why exactly should there be a "check" on professors who have absolutely nothing to lose or gain from you getting into medical school?

Presumably you're picking professors to evaluate you who know you well and should be able to speak to your strengths in an LoR--not have to fly by "whatever crosses their mind." Presumably after 4 years of college, maybe more if you took some time off, you should have 3-5 professors who can speak about your strengths; if not, you did something wrong. If you're at all unsure, ask them directly, "Can you write me a strong letter of recommendation?"