LOR's absolute necessity for interview invite?

[uvce]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Probably a dumb question, and might have been asked and answered before, but do all schools require that all the letters of recommendation be received before they will process the file and send out interview invites? Some posts seemed to indicate that the interviews were based more on GPA, MCAT, ECs, etc., while the final acceptance would definitely take the LOR's into account.

 

[Law2Doc]

Probably a dumb question, and might have been asked and answered before, but do all schools require that all the letters of recommendation be received before they will process the file and send out interview invites? Some posts seemed to indicate that the interviews were based more on GPA, MCAT, ECs, etc., while the final acceptance would definitely take the LOR's into account.

Each school can decide this on their own -- there would certainly not be a global rule. But in general, a school won't want to waste it's interviewers' time on applicants who aren't per se acceptable, and so usually everything else has to be in and in order first.

 

[Depakote]

I don't think I know of any schools that will invite someone for an interview without seeing their LORs.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

good question.

all i can add is that columbia has an earlier secondary deadline than lor deadline. this supports the idea that they look at the former before the latter.

 

[45408]

I don't think I know of any schools that will invite someone for an interview without seeing their LORs.

UWisc does.

 

[WayChanger]

UWisc does.

Ditto for UMich (and I think possibly UPitt) if you happen to get an automatic interview invitation.

 

[hermit]

Lots of schools probably do. Come on - are they going to want to interview a bunch of people with great LORs (pretty common - who turns in a bad LOR?) or a bunch of people with great numbers. Maybe a LOR separates you in the final cut among acceptance offers - but you are going to have to get your foot in the door on your own.

 

[sanche60]

iowa gave me an interview before my lor's were received. In fact, i think i actually interviewed a day or two before they arrived.