LOR question about specific schools (namely, Yale, WashU, and Hopkins)

[willthatsall]

I have three letters in my interfolio account: pre-med committee, econ professor, basketball coach. I have a letter from a physician on the way, but I'm not sure how long he is going to take. The schools I need to send letters to right now are Hopkins, Yale, WashU, and MCG. Of those 4, only MCG asks for a letter from a physician. Yale says all it needs is a letter from the pre-med advisory committee or three individual letters. WashU asks for the committee letter and a letter from any particularly important extracurricular activity. Hopkins asks for the pre-med committee and a work reference if you have worked somewhere longer than a year. My question is, do these schools even care about the letter from the physician? I always figured it would be important to have a letter from a doc, but it seems like they don't really care much. I'd rather not wait on his letter if they don't want it or care one way or the other. Also, are these schools set on their one letter from the pre-med committee rule, or can you send in as many as you want past the requirement?

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[wetlightning]

i think it can only help. most schools have a cap of 6, which means they'd be willing to read that many. i had a chat with a stanford admissions counselor the other day, and he said that additional lor's (particular from physicians, research mentors, etc) strengthen your application greatly.

and with your numbers, a little extracurricular boost will push you right over into the interview pool

g'luck!

 

[gujuDoc]

I have three letters in my interfolio account: pre-med committee, econ professor, basketball coach. I have a letter from a physician on the way, but I'm not sure how long he is going to take. The schools I need to send letters to right now are Hopkins, Yale, WashU, and MCG. Of those 4, only MCG asks for a letter from a physician. Yale says all it needs is a letter from the pre-med advisory committee or three individual letters. WashU asks for the committee letter and a letter from any particularly important extracurricular activity. Hopkins asks for the pre-med committee and a work reference if you have worked somewhere longer than a year. My question is, do these schools even care about the letter from the physician? I always figured it would be important to have a letter from a doc, but it seems like they don't really care much. I'd rather not wait on his letter if they don't want it or care one way or the other. Also, are these schools set on their one letter from the pre-med committee rule, or can you send in as many as you want past the requirement?

Although a physician letter looks good, a letter from someone like your bball coach would probably hold a lot more weight, unless the physician is someone that knows you real well and might have a name affiliation with some medical school.

From what I gather from your post, it seems that your strongest letters will be your committee letter and bball coach. Then if you want an extra character letter, I'd choose either the econ professor or the doctor, depending on who knows you better and can attest to your skills better, etc. etc.

I wouldn't flood them with too many letters, but I'd probably have 2 character letters (people who know you real well like your coach, physician, etc.) in addition to the committee letter.

 

[willthatsall]

Although a physician letter looks good, a letter from someone like your bball coach would probably hold a lot more weight, unless the physician is someone that knows you real well and might have a name affiliation with some medical school.

From what I gather from your post, it seems that your strongest letters will be your committee letter and bball coach. Then if you want an extra character letter, I'd choose either the econ professor or the doctor, depending on who knows you better and can attest to your skills better, etc. etc.

I wouldn't flood them with too many letters, but I'd probably have 2 character letters (people who know you real well like your coach, physician, etc.) in addition to the committee letter.

Yeah, I think my basketball coach's letter will be the best one, and then my Pre-Med committee because I've had most of them for class. My econ professor is a friend of mine so I'm sure he went over the top and raved about me. The doc I only shadowed for about 60-80 hours, so I definitely got to know him, but it's not like we are really close. I just thought it would be good to have a doc. But if schools don't explicitly want a letter from a physician, that letter probably won't wow anyone.

New question: What do you think the latest I can have my file complete and still have a shot at the earliest interview date is? I was thinking sometime in early August.

 

[Centinel]

I'd guess (no prior application experience) that you'll be fine if you're complete around mid-August.

 

[dilated]

New question: What do you think the latest I can have my file complete and still have a shot at the earliest interview date is? I was thinking sometime in early August.

This is a good question I've been wondering myself. There are two possibilities:
1) When they start sending out interviews (early Sept) they send them out to everybody who's submitted up until late August and is somebody they want
2) They're backlogged so as they read through apps in order of application they send out interview invites, so you'll be in line behind the early Aug people and won't get an interview till a bit later

Dunno which one it is.