LORs Assignement/Upload 2014 Changes

[texmed29]

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So it appears that there has been some changes for 2014 LORs. Mainly, you cannot assign LORs to programs until they have been finalized by yourself AND your deans office have uploaded them. The check boxes next to the LORs when assigning documents to programs is grayed out until these requirements have been met.

Also, my deans office just informed me that they cannot upload LORs until we have certified our application (which we can't do until Sept 15th). Has anyone else heard that this is the case, because I'm not sure if it was like that before. This creates an issue, as if they can't begin uploading letters till Sept 15th, then we can't apply to programs until they upload them right? So applying right on the 15th may not happen if they can't upload everyones letters that day.

Are we suppose to certify our app on the 15th, wait for LORs to be uploaded, and then apply to programs? Or can we certify and apply to programs without LORs being assigned, and then go back and assign them once they get uploaded?

 

[gutonc]

You should be able to certify now. All that does is lock down your CAF. it doesn't mean you apply to programs, or that you can't upload LORs, PS, photo, etc, just that your CAF is finished and ready to go.

 

[texmed29]

Oh you can? I didn't know that, our deans office said we can't certify till the 15th. I guess they must have meant we can't apply till the 15th. Thanks.

 

[Sauce1]

What? How do you certify, and whats CAF? After you certify can you still make changes to your app? I thought you couldn't certify/apply until the 15th? Im confused about this whole letter business too as I asked in the thread below. I never heard the deans office cant upload though until the 15th?

 

[mcl]

What? How do you certify, and whats CAF? After you certify can you still make changes to your app? I thought you couldn't certify/apply until the 15th? Im confused about this whole letter business too as I asked in the thread below. I never heard the deans office cant upload though until the 15th?

CAF = Common Application Form

Certify = You have completely filled out the CAF and are ready to "lock" the information. After certification, you can change elements in your profile, but not much else. Don't certify until you're positive the application is ready (that includes reviewing content for spelling and, to a lesser extent, grammar).

Apply = You have submitted your CAF so that it will be available in the ERAS Post Office to the programs you selected to receive it when they link to the ERAS Post Office to download applications.

Hope that helps clarify some of the terminology.

 

[texmed29]

So to summarize, we can certify our application anytime before Sept 15th, our deans office can then upload the LORs once we do, and then we can assign them to programs and actually apply to programs Sept 15th.Correct me if I'm wrong.

I guess I need to correct my deans office, cause they are under the impression we can't certify till the 15th.

 

[gutonc]

So to summarize, we can certify our application anytime before Sept 15th, our deans office can then upload the LORs once we do, and then we can assign them to programs and actually apply to programs Sept 15th.Correct me if I'm wrong.

I guess I need to correct my deans office, cause they are under the impression we can't certify till the 15th.

You are correct.

 

[Sauce1]

CAF = Common Application Form

Certify = You have completely filled out the CAF and are ready to "lock" the information. After certification, you can change elements in your profile, but not much else. Don't certify until you're positive the application is ready (that includes reviewing content for spelling and, to a lesser extent, grammar).

Apply = You have submitted your CAF so that it will be available in the ERAS Post Office to the programs you selected to receive it when they link to the ERAS Post Office to download applications.

Hope that helps clarify some of the terminology.

Thanks that does help. So to certify, is it the same thing as going on the application tab --> home --> submit application. Because I dont see a certify or lock option. The submit app button seems like thats for sept. 15. Also still dont understand the LOR situation, so you cant apply to programs on sept.15 if all your letters aren't uploaded?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Wait, what?

This thread makes no sense.

Once you have obtained your token and started your ERAS application, you should be able to go to the Documents -- > LOR tab and create slots for letters. You then FINALIZE that slot. This does nothing other than create a slot to have a letter uploaded into. If you make a mistake, no prob. Just create another slot and finalize it. You can have as many slots as you want. You then will be able to print out a cover letter for your LOR. You give that to your letter writer, who can then write the letter and either send it to your dean's office or upload it via the LORP.

You do NOT need to certify / finalize / submit your CAF to do this.

You do NOT need to wait until Sept 15th.

(Unless I'm totally wrong, but this makes no sense)

 

[texmed29]

We aren't talking about finalizing the LOR and printing out the cover letter. Yes, you can do all that as you described. But once your letter writer sends the LOR to your deans office, the deans office must then upload it to the ERASpostoffice.

Supposedly, the deans office cannot actually upload the LOR to the ERASpostoffice until we certify our CAF. This is what I was just informed of by my deans office. Therefore, we can't assign the LORs to programs until we certify our CAF (because as of 2014 you can't assign LORs to programs until they are fully uploaded to the ERASpostoffice)

 

[FML]

We aren't talking about finalizing the LOR and printing out the cover letter. Yes, you can do all that as you described. But once your letter writer sends the LOR to your deans office, the deans office must then upload it to the ERASpostoffice.

Supposedly, the deans office cannot actually upload the LOR to the ERASpostoffice until we certify our CAF. This is what I was just informed of by my deans office. Therefore, we can't assign the LORs to programs until we certify our CAF (because as of 2014 you can't assign LORs to programs until they are fully uploaded to the ERASpostoffice)

The bolded is false. One of my LOR writers has already uploaded their LOR for me and I have not done anything close to certify.

It could be true that the bolded is the policy of your Dean's office, but it is not because they are not physically able to within the ERAS platform.

 

[texmed29]

The bolded is false. One of my LOR writers has already uploaded their LOR for me and I have not done anything close to certify.

Did he use the LORP and upload it himself or did he send it to your deans office for them to do it? Cause the letter writer can always use the portal, that's different.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Your Dean's office is simply wrong. This would be a really, really stupid system. All medical students think it's critical to have a complete application on September 15th. That's ridic, but that's for another thread. So this would mean that every Dean's office would need to stay up all night on the 15th getting every letter uploaded, never mind the strain this would put on the ERAS servers.

Dean's offices can upload letters whenever they want. That's the way it's always been, and I can't see any reason why they would change it. Plus, it's not listed as a change in the User Guide.

Best case scenario, you simply misunderstood what they said.
Next worst, your Dean's office is mistaken.
Worst case, they are idiots.
Actually, even worse, they just dislike you and want to torture you needlessly.

 

[Sauce1]

Wait, what?

This thread makes no sense.

Once you have obtained your token and started your ERAS application, you should be able to go to the Documents -- > LOR tab and create slots for letters. You then FINALIZE that slot. This does nothing other than create a slot to have a letter uploaded into. If you make a mistake, no prob. Just create another slot and finalize it. You can have as many slots as you want. You then will be able to print out a cover letter for your LOR. You give that to your letter writer, who can then write the letter and either send it to your dean's office or upload it via the LORP.

You do NOT need to certify / finalize / submit your CAF to do this.

You do NOT need to wait until Sept 15th.

(Unless I'm totally wrong, but this makes no sense)

Yeah the LoR can upload whenever but can you comment on the deal with submitting app on sept 15 without all the letters in since this year you can't assign letters until they are upload and after you apply apparently you can't modify your letters?

 

[texmed29]

Well, I didn't misunderstand what they said, they made it quite clear. I emailed for clarification and they reiterated they can't upload till we certify (I agree it seems crazy). They are telling me this is the first year like that.

I hope you are right and they are just confused, I'm planning on going in to talk to them in person next week cause some of my fellow students are also clearly wondering what is going on. You'd think since they do this every year it would be smoother. I'll bring up what you said with them. Thanks for your info.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Yeah the LoR can upload whenever but can you comment on the deal with submitting app on sept 15 without all the letters in since this year you can't assign letters until they are upload and after you apply apparently you can't modify your letters?

You have misunderstood. After you apply, you can always add a new letter -- so you don't need to wait until all of your letters are in. Once you've assigned a letter, you can't "withdraw" it and assign another (you used to be able to do that).

So you can apply Sept 15th, assign 2 letters, then when 2 more letters get uploaded assign those, and they will be downloaded and added to your application the next time the program contacts the ERAS postoffice.

 

[Sauce1]

Great, thanks for the clarification.