LORs

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dochoov

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Yes, another LOR thread. I couldn't find the information I need through searches. If there's a thread or resource I clearly overlooked, someone please post a link.

My situation:

My school has a pre-med committee. All the professors who know me will get together and fill out an objective evaluation; ie, lab performance, punctuality, intellectual potential, etc.. I'm also supposed to pick one professor who will serve as a character reference. I know that the objective evaluation and character reference have been sufficient in the past for people trying to enter the state school. I plan on applying to about 10 other schools, some top tier.

My questions:

1) How many recommendations, in addition to my character reference, are the norm?

2)How do I include these recommendations in my AMCAS application?


I need practical, straightforward advice from people who have been through this. I don't know what is acceptable in terms of seeing what my professors write about me. Am I supposed to ask for letters in writing and then scan them, convert them into PDFs, and then add them to my AMCAS??

Your advice, please.

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Not to hijack the thread but I had a LOR question as well (but didnt want to start a new thread), so I will piggyback my question with OP's and hope that someone can respond to both of ours.

So I attend a large state school and we do have a premed commitee. As per instruction by the premed advisor, the student is to ask his/her recommenders to fill out a form supplied by the premed commitee. Said form is then submitted to the premed advising office and they take care of it from there onwards. I asked her if they would add their own cover letter but she said that with so many students, it was impractical for the advisors to get to know each one of them and write a letter for each student.

Problem is:

I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago and he said that one of his recommenders told him to not go through the premed advising office because they cut all the recommendations down so that all of them fit onto a page (they just edit - they dont add). IMHO, I feel that this would be doing an injustice to my application! On the other hand I have also heard that if one does not submit the LORs through their undergrad's premed commitee it frowned upon my med school adcoms.

So what would be the best route to take? :confused:

(I am asking this question with relation to both AMCAS and TMDSAS applications.)

Thanks. :)
 
1. Usually a premed committee has a requirement of amount of letters one has to have for a committee letter. If there is no committee, each school has something on how many LOR's they require.

2. You don't put your recommendations on AMCAS, you send them to each med school after you submit the secondary application.
 
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1. Usually a premed committee has a requirement of amount of letters one has to have for a committee letter. If there is no committee, each school has something on how many LOR's they require.

The premed committee at my small private school fills out the objective evaluation simply on the request of the student. When you say each school has something on how many LOR's they require, are you referring to the medical schools I will be applying to?


2. You don't put your recommendations on AMCAS, you send them to each med school after you submit the secondary application.

Ok, thank you for this info. So this means that I physically receive and hold the letters my profs write until I want to send them in my secondary apps??
 
The premed committee at my small private school fills out the objective evaluation simply on the request of the student. When you say each school has something on how many LOR's they require, are you referring to the medical schools I will be applying to?




Ok, thank you for this info. So this means that I physically receive and hold the letters my profs write until I want to send them in my secondary apps??

No, use a service like Interfolio to distribute your letters. You should never see or lay a hand on your LOR's. Have your professors send them directly to Interfolio.
 
The premed committee at my small private school fills out the objective evaluation simply on the request of the student. When you say each school has something on how many LOR's they require, are you referring to the medical schools I will be applying to?

Yeah, you should check the websites of the schools you want to apply to and see what they require.

Ok, thank you for this info. So this means that I physically receive and hold the letters my profs write until I want to send them in my secondary apps??

I believe that they send the letters directly to the medical school. I believe you sign a waver of your right to see letters in the beginning. I am not sure how your premed committee works though. I think you should talk with your premed adviser and get all the info.
 
Whoa, I thought you sent your letters in the primary app. I am applying this June. So are you telling me the primary app is just GPA, MCAT, and personal statement?
 
Whoa, I thought you sent your letters in the primary app. I am applying this June. So are you telling me the primary app is just GPA, MCAT, and personal statement?
Other information: listing your extra curriculars, Entering every grade you have gotten in college one by one.
 
Yeah, you should check the websites of the schools you want to apply to and see what they require.



I believe that they send the letters directly to the medical school. I believe you sign a waver of your right to see letters in the beginning. I am not sure how your premed committee works though. I think you should talk with your premed adviser and get all the info.

I'm going to sign the waiver, but I thought that was only for my character reference. My premed adviser basically said to check with individual schools too, but I guess I was looking for some standard number of letters that people would send for a broad range of schools. I'll check with individual schools. Thank you.
 
No, use a service like Interfolio to distribute your letters. You should never see or lay a hand on your LOR's. Have your professors send them directly to Interfolio.

How/when do I access Interfolio. Is it only for the secondary apps?
 
Other information: listing your extra curriculars, Entering every grade you have gotten in college one by one.

In terms of listing extra curriculars, I am planning on working at a planned parenthood clinic in the summer... if everthing works out. But if that doesn't pan out I will be volunteering at the children's hospital nearby. How do I list that on my primary? It would suck for me not to put down the planned parenthood clinic work and actually get to do that this summer. At the same time it would suck more if I put that I worked at the clinic but don't get the job. That would be some terrible interview material.
 
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