LOR Procedure

[QofQuimica]

If I'm going to have one person send a LOR to all of my schools, does he have to mail each letter individually? Or is there some way to have a LOR clearinghouse like there is with AMCAS? What do people who apply to 30 or 40 schools do in this case? Because mailing off 30 LORs sure is a lot to ask of a professor!!!

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[DrBowtie]

People on here have used Interfolio which your prof sends them the letter, they scan it into their system, then for a fee sends out your batch to schools.

 

[Hoooba]

Does that mean that you only need to have your LOR ssubmitted once to Interfolio?

 

[DrBowtie]

I believe so. From what I have read, you sign up and print out a cover page which states you waive or do not waive confidentiality and it has the address for the LOR to be sent. Once it is in the system, you can designate how many places you want it sent.

Hopefully people who have experience with using it will chime in later to clear things up.

 

[BeatArmy]

Does that mean that you only need to have your LOR ssubmitted once to Interfolio?

Most undergrad institutions will provide this service for free. Many even if you have been graduated for some time.

Either way, only make your letter writers send one, as this is often a large enough deterrent to them.

 

[_J_]

I believe so. From what I have read, you sign up and print out a cover page which states you waive or do not waive confidentiality and it has the address for the LOR to be sent. Once it is in the system, you can designate how many places you want it sent.

Hopefully people who have experience with using it will chime in later to clear things up.

yep... make sure you do waive your right to ever see the letter. from experience, most schools prefer LORs in this manner.

 

[newhavenjake]

many schools have a form that they require your writer to include with the letter so I don't know how that works with the service.

I just brought my profs a stack of pre-addressed and stamps envelopes and asked them to do it. I applied to 20 schools so it was a bit of work, but none of them had a problem.

I was a bit non traditional so I couldn't use the composite letter from my school's pre med committee. Many med schools require you to use this service if it is available so it might not be an issue.

 

[QofQuimica]

many schools have a form that they require your writer to include with the letter so I don't know how that works with the service.

I just brought my profs a stack of pre-addressed and stamps envelopes and asked them to do it. I applied to 20 schools so it was a bit of work, but none of them had a problem.

I was a bit non traditional so I couldn't use the composite letter from my school's pre med committee. Many med schools require you to use this service if it is available so it might not be an issue.

That's a good idea. I'm in the same position; I am a non-trad, and my undergrad didn't have a pre-med committee anyway. So did you wait to get all of your secondaries and just give them everything at once, or ask them to send the letters as the secondaries came in?

 

[gujuDoc]

That's a good idea. I'm in the same position; I am a non-trad, and my undergrad didn't have a pre-med committee anyway. So did you wait to get all of your secondaries and just give them everything at once, or ask them to send the letters as the secondaries came in?

QofQuimica,

I believe we use interfolio.com. Check your PM box.

 

[sfbear]

Interfolio is great - i would reccomend it. and ask your professors, bosses, etc. for the letters asap. your app won't be considered complete until the schools receive them, and letter writers can take their sweet time. i'm non-trad and i think interfolio's the easiest way to go, both for you and the letter writers.

 

[junebuguf]

The school I attend had a long standing policy of requiring three LORs from their faculty before issuing a composite letter. Today I found out that their policy was changed for the 2005-06 cycle (starting a month ago) and they now require two additional letters from outside sources. I may be able to get them but most likely will not. How bad does would it be if I submit three individual letters instead of a composite?

 

[sfbear]

Not all schools require a composite letter, so it won't matter for those. For the schools that do require it, you write a short note explaining why you don't have a composite letter or you can just send in the single letters and hope they don't do a crazy background check to see if your undergrad is one of the schools that write composite letters (many don't). Either way, I would reccomend trying to get letters from an outside source to improve your app.

 

[QofQuimica]

One of my students told me about interfolio; I agree that it seems to be the way to go.

 

[chaeymaey]

OK, what exactly is a "composite letter"? My premed advisor says that after I interviewed with the health professions committee, she wrote a letter based on that interview that will be used as a cover letter for the LORs that she likes (out of the 9 that I submitted). Is this what a "composite letter" is supposed to be?

 

[junebuguf]

OK, what exactly is a "composite letter"? My premed advisor says that after I interviewed with the health professions committee, she wrote a letter based on that interview that will be used as a cover letter for the LORs that she likes (out of the 9 that I submitted). Is this what a "composite letter" is supposed to be?

No a composite is a single letter that gives a general consensus opinion of your candidacy by your pre-med office based on the thousands of these that they have written for various applicants over the years. It usually contains snippets of criticism and praise quoted directly from your LORs. With composite letters, individual letters are not usually mailed....from my understanding. I could be wrong though.

 

[cammy1313]

I was under the impression that just about every undergrad offers a letter collection service if there is no committee. This was the case at my institution. The collection service is offered through the career center (and every school has to have a career center) for $60 for two years or X amount of mailings, whichever comes first.

 

[QofQuimica]

Does anyone know whether all medical schools accept interfolio? Or do I have to contact each school individually to find out about this? If anyone who has used interfolio in the past could enlighten me on this, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[EvoDevo]

Does anyone know whether all medical schools accept interfolio? Or do I have to contact each school individually to find out about this? If anyone who has used interfolio in the past could enlighten me on this, I'd really appreciate it.

Hey Q:

I was in a similar situation (non-trad, etc) and I used Interfolio. Not a single school had a problem with them.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey Q:

I was in a similar situation (non-trad, etc) and I used Interfolio. Not a single school had a problem with them.

Thanks, Evo. Hey, I have another question for you: what did you do about non-science LORs? I mean, I haven't taken a non-science class in a decade, and apparently some schools ask for letters from non-science profs. Do you think that I can get an extra science letter instead?

 

[EvoDevo]

Thanks, Evo. Hey, I have another question for you: what did you do about non-science LORs? I mean, I haven't taken a non-science class in a decade, and apparently some schools ask for letters from non-science profs. Do you think that I can get an extra science letter instead?

I usually called the schools which required them and explained my situation. Most of them were alright with it, though I have no idea if my failure to obtain one made a difference.

Whichever. Most schools were totally cool with it. Just call. They're really cool to us fossils.

 

[QofQuimica]

I usually called the schools which required them and explained my situation. Most of them were alright with it, though I have no idea if my failure to obtain one made a difference.

Whichever. Most schools were totally cool with it. Just call. They're really cool to us fossils.

Fossils??? Didn't you say you were 26? lmao, you're a youngun' as far as I'm concerned. My kid sister is older than you are.

I emailed the admissions director at the one school that I know of so far that will ask me for a nonscience letter, so hopefully I'll find out soon what I should do. Thanks for your help.

 

[ShyRem]

not all schools have letter sending service. And not all professors WANT to use it if it's available. My school has it "for teachers" (that is, for the education majors - they call it a "credential file"), and when I asked my professors if they would send a letter there, all of them said emphatically "NO WAY". they wanted to send the letters all out themselves.

 

[QofQuimica]

not all schools have letter sending service. And not all professors WANT to use it if it's available. My school has it "for teachers" (that is, for the education majors - they call it a "credential file"), and when I asked my professors if they would send a letter there, all of them said emphatically "NO WAY". they wanted to send the letters all out themselves.

Interesting. I spoke to my mentor about interfolio today and he said he's done it before and recommended that I do it. The pre-med office also told me to do it. I guess it depends on the school.

 

[Hoooba]

How about addressing the letters? Shouldn't each letter include the address of the school to which it is being written? Does interfolio edit each letter according to the address it is being sent?

 

[QofQuimica]

How about addressing the letters? Shouldn't each letter include the address of the school to which it is being written? Does interfolio edit each letter according to the address it is being sent?

My understanding is that you deposit your letters with Interfolio, and then tell Interfolio which letters to send and to where, and they send them all together. I don't think that they do anything else to the letters. Anyone who has already used interfolio know about this?

 

[EvoDevo]

Fossils??? Didn't you say you were 26? lmao, you're a youngun' as far as I'm concerned. My kid sister is older than you are.

I emailed the admissions director at the one school that I know of so far that will ask me for a nonscience letter, so hopefully I'll find out soon what I should do. Thanks for your help.

Heheh....nope. Older than that.

 

[Hoooba]

How about addressing the letters? Shouldn't each letter include the address of the school to which it is being written? Does interfolio edit each letter according to the address it is being sent?

bump

Also, can anybody give an estimate on how much it would cost to apply to about 10 schools with 4 LORs each ?

 

[QofQuimica]

bump

Also, can anybody give an estimate on how much it would cost to apply to about 10 schools with 4 LORs each ?

That I can answer. They charge you by the bundle, not per letter, assuming you don't exceed some maximum number of pages. It costs $5/school to send the entire bundle.

 

[QofQuimica]

Heheh....nope. Older than that.

Ok, good, I feel better then. But don't go tell me now that you're only 27.

 

[UofT-Girl]

hey guys,

in regards to sending LOR's.. if I send them to AMCAS, will they then forward them off to our designated schools?

 

[QofQuimica]

hey guys,

in regards to sending LOR's.. if I send them to AMCAS, will they then forward them off to our designated schools?

We're talking about interfolio, not AMCAS. I don't think that AAMC will forward letters.

 

[ShyRem]

I believe somewhere on the AAMC website it specifically says not to send LORs to them - they will throw them away without a second thought. Send them to the schools you apply to individually.

 

[gujuDoc]

Ok, good, I feel better then. But don't go tell me now that you're only 27.

Good one. I know people in the ranges of 39-47 applying to med school. One is only as old as they feel.

By the way the admissions director once said the two oldest students they had were 49

 

[QofQuimica]

One is only as old as they feel.

Well, I feel about 90ish at the moment. I still have four activities/work experiences to write about. Plus I've started soliciting my LORs. How the heck did it get to be almost June already??? BTW, Gujudoc, I took your advice and counted mentoring lab students as teaching/tutoring rather than nonmedical volunteering. I did emphasize that it takes a lot of time and I do NOT GET PAID!!!!

 

[gujuDoc]

Well, I feel about 90ish at the moment. I still have four activities/work experiences to write about. Plus I've started soliciting my LORs. How the heck did it get to be almost June already??? BTW, Gujudoc, I took your advice and counted mentoring lab students as teaching/tutoring rather than nonmedical volunteering. I did emphasize that it takes a lot of time and I do NOT GET PAID!!!!

hahahaha. TOO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just think, in less then a few weeks you'll be done, and most people will still be getting started on the tedious process of the application. So you are wayyyyyyyy ahead of most. Think most people haven't even started to put eithe rtheir coursework or do their personal statement. Must make you feel better to know you are 15 steps ahead most people.

 

[EvoDevo]

Ok, good, I feel better then. But don't go tell me now that you're only 27.

Yeah, a little older. PM me if you want details.

good luck this app cycle, Q!

 

[QofQuimica]

Yeah, a little older. PM me if you want details.

good luck this app cycle, Q!

Thanks, I appreciate it. It's ok, I saw your MDapplicants profile, so I now know exactly how prehistoric you really are.

 

[Hoooba]

I have another question about Interfolio

Should the person writing the recommendation letter write a generic one then? For example, should it be addressed to "whom it may concern" or "Dear Medical School Committee" ?

Also, would a generic letter like this look bad ?

 

[EvoDevo]

Thanks, I appreciate it. It's ok, I saw your MDapplicants profile, so I now know exactly how prehistoric you really are.

 

[EvoDevo]

I have another question about Interfolio

Should the person writing the recommendation letter write a generic one then? For example, should it be addressed to "whom it may concern" or "Dear Medical School Committee" ?

Also, would a generic letter like this look bad ?

Well, since most schools get applicant LORs from undergrad Pre-Med offices (which assemble LORs, etc), I don't think it'd be much of a problem.

 

[QofQuimica]